77 employees at four city-run long-term care homes in Ottawa test positive for COVID-19

The city of Ottawa is looking for student placements and new staff to help fill critical staffing positions after six per cent of staff at the four city-run long-term care homes tested positive for COVID-19.

In a memo to council Wednesday evening, general manager of community and social services Donna Gray said 77 staff members at long-term care homes have tested positive for COVID-19. Gray says the positive test results came from both PCR and rapid-antigen tests.

Here is a breakdown of the positive cases at long-term care homes:

• Carleton Lodge: 19 staff members
• Centre d'accueil Champlain: 19 staff members
• Garry J. Armstrong long-term care home: 26 staff members
• Peter D. Clark long-term care home: 13 staff members

Gray says 24 residents at three long-term care homes have tested positive.

• Carleton Lodge: 4 residents tested positive
• Centre d'accueil Champlain: 12 residents tested positive
• Garry J. Armstrong long-term care home: Eight residents tested positive

"The City’s Long-Term Care homes are committed to maintaining staffing levels in order to minimize the impact on resident care and services," said Gray.

"Long Term Care staff are working with educational institutions to support student placements, expediting on-boarding of new staff for critical staffing positions, and redeploying staff from non-essential services to address the current staffing challenges."

The Ministry of Long-Term Care has mandated all staff, students, volunteers and support workers must receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to enter long-term care homes.