View source for Medicine:Ontario's Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission

{{Short description|Commission to investigate spread of COVID}}
'''Ontario's Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission''' was a commission started in July 2020 to investigate the spread of [[Medicine:COVID-19|COVID-19]] in [[Medicine:Long-term care|Long Term Care Homes]] in Ontario, the impact on the staff and residents and what was done to mitigate the spread.<ref name="Oshawa CoC" /> It was created under section 78 of the ''Health Protection and Promotion Act''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ford |first1=Doug |title=Order in Council 1058/2020 {{!}} ontario.ca |url=https://www.ontario.ca/orders-in-council/oc-10582020 |website=www.ontario.ca |publisher=Government of Ontario |access-date=25 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

The commission's members were Frank Marrocco who was also the chair, Angela Coke who was a former senior executive within Ontario's public service, and Dr. Jack Kitts who was a veteran of the healthcare system.<ref name="Oshawa CoC">{{cite web |title=Ontario Launches Independent Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission |url=https://oshawachamber.com/ontario-launches-independent-long-term-care-covid-19-commission/ |website=Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce |access-date=25 June 2023 |language=en-CA |date=29 July 2020}}</ref>

==Mandate==
The commission's mandate was to within the boundaries of section 78 of the ''Health Protection and Promotion Act'' how the state of Ontario's Long-Term Care system before COVID effected the spread of COVID, the suitableness of the measures taken to stop the spread, the effect of the government's long-term care reforms and any other measure related to COVID in long-term care.<ref name="Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission (ontario.ca)">{{cite web |title=Archived - Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission {{!}} ontario.ca |url=https://www.ontario.ca/page/long-term-care-covid-19-commission/ |website=www.ontario.ca |publisher=Ministry of Long-Term Care (Ontario) |access-date=25 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

The commission had access to any evidence available to it under section 33 of the ''Public Inquiries Act, 2009''. This included the ability to summon witnesses to testify under oath and compel people to provide access to documents.<ref name="Public Inquiries Act">{{cite web |title=Public Inquiries Act, 2009, S.O. 2009, c. 33, Sched. 6 |url=https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/09p33#BK49 |website=ontario.ca/laws |publisher=elaws (Ministry of the Attorney General) |access-date=25 June 2023 |language=en |date=24 July 2014}}</ref> The commission ended up interviewing more than 700 witnesses.<ref name="CBC Article" />

== Findings ==
On April 30, 2021, the commission released its 322-page-long final report. A key finding was that, "Ontario had no plan to address pandemic or protect residents in long-term care." The report also found that Ontario was not prepared for a pandemic and chronic under funding and staffing shortages lead to deaths. Ontario had failed to learn from [[Medicine:SARS|SARS]]. The workforce did not have sufficient training in infection control measures. The commission said that more facilities would be needed due to an aging population and Ontario should prepare for a future [[Finance:Pandemic|pandemic]]. The commission had found that Ontario had acted too slowly and the Chief Medical Officer of Health was particularly slow when it came to responding to new information. Workers lacked proper Personal Protective Equipment and the state for residents was like [[Social:Solitary confinement|solitary confinement]].<ref name="CBC Article">{{cite web |title=Ontario had no plan to address pandemic or protect residents in long-term care, final commission report says |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/long-term-care-ontario-plan-1.6010266 |website=CBC News |publisher=CBC |access-date=25 June 2023}}</ref><ref name="CTV Article">{{cite web |title=Ontario had no plan to protect long-term residents from COVID-19: commission |url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-had-no-plan-to-protect-long-term-residents-from-covid-19-commission-1.5408635 |website=CTV News |date=30 April 2021 |publisher=Bell Media |access-date=25 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Response ===
The NDP who were the official opposition at the time, said Ford had failed to live up to his promise to an "iron ring" around Long-term care.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Horwath |first1=Andrea |title=Hansard Issue: L005 |url=http://hansardindex.ontla.on.ca/hansardetitle/42-2/l005-51.html |website=hansardindex.ontla.on.ca |access-date=25 June 2023}}</ref> Sharleen Stewart, an executive at SEIU Healthcare also said the government failed to live up to its promise of an iron ring around Long-term care.<ref name="CBC Article" />

The government's response was the ''Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors, and Building More Beds Act, 2021''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Phillips |first1=Rod |title=Hansard Transcript 2021-Nov-03 vol. A {{!}} Legislative Assembly of Ontario |url=https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/house-documents/parliament-42/session-2/2021-11-03/hansard#P796_185442 |website=www.ola.org |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Ontario |access-date=25 June 2023 |language=en |date=3 November 2021}}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

{{Improve categories|date=June 2023}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Long Term Care}}
[[Category:Health care]]

{{Sourceattribution|Ontario's Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission}}