OTTAWA -- The COVID-19 pandemic is having the harshest impact on Ottawa's long-term care facilities.

There have been 35 deaths in Ottawa linked to COVID-19 since the first case was confirmed March 11. Twenty-six of those deaths have been in long-term care facilities.

In Ottawa Public Health's epidemiological report Wednesday, seven new deaths were confirmed and six of them were at the Montfort Long-term Care Centre, which has now recorded 11 deaths from COVID-19.

On Thursday, Ottawa Public Health updated its outbreak list and said 61 residents and 8 staff members at the Montfort home have tested positive since April 8, an increase of 21 cases since Wednesday's report.

The Montfort LTC Centre is run by Revera Living, which also operates other homes in the region hit hard by COVID-19, including Carlingview Manor, which has seen 65 cases of COVID-19 and three deaths since April 7, and the Stoneridge Manor home in Carleton Place.

Three new deaths were announced at the Madonna Care Community--operated by Sienna Living--bringing that home's total to six.

Speaking at City Council Wednesday, medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches said up to 30 per cent of all of Ottawa's long-term care homes have experienced COVID-19 outbreaks. There are outbreaks at 19 health-care institutions so far, according to the latest data from Ottawa Public Health. Seven outbreaks have been declared resolved.

Dr. Etches commended the staff at long-term care and retirement homes, noting a majority of them in Ottawa haven't had outbreaks yet. Retirement homes, in particular, have fared better than long-term care facilities.

"In both cases, it is the majority of homes that have managed to prevent spread of infection," Dr. Etches said. "I want to commend the teams that are working hard to continue to try and prevent outbreaks and then control them."

On Wednesday, the Province of Ontario announced a plan to bring in aid from the Canadian military to assist with outbreaks at some of the worst-hit long-term care homes.

Premier Doug Ford did not specify exactly which homes will be receiving the military assistance, but Minister of Long-Term Care Dr. Merrilee Fullerton said that crews will be deployed to facilities in the “greatest need.”

Dr. Etches also praised the province's efforts to assist in long-term care facilities. Her comments were made before the announcement of military aid, but she said there has been "excellent collaboration" between health-care partners in the region.

"Long-term care homes are in the highest need due to the nature of the people they serve," she said.

19 outbreaks

Here is the latest data from Ottawa Public Health on the status of each institutional outbreak they're monitoring, as of April 22, 2020. Outbreaks are considered "facility-wide" unless otherwise stated. 

Barrhaven Manor 

  • Outbreak declared April 17
  • Cases: 1 staff member, 0 residents
  • Deaths: 0

Carlingview Manor

  • Outbreak declared April 7
  • Cases: 49 residents, 16 staff members
  • Deaths: 3 residents

Cité Parkway

  • Outbreak declared April 12
  • Cases: 2 staff members, 0 residents
  • Deaths: 0

Elisabeth Bruyère Residence

  • Outbreak declared April 16
  • Cases: 1 staff member, 0 residents
  • Deaths: 0

Garden Terrace

  • Outbreak declared March 27
  • Cases: 1 resident, 1 staff member
  • Deaths: 0

Garry J. Armstrong – dementia ward

  • Outbreak declared April 20
  • Cases: 1 staff member, 0 residents
  • Deaths: 0

Laurier Manor

  • Outbreak declared April 12
  • Cases: 39 residents, 7 staff members
  • Deaths: 0

Madonna Care Community

  • Outbreak declared April 5
  • Cases: 33 residents, 7 staff members
  • Deaths: 6 residents

Maison Acceuil-Sagesse

  • Outbreak declared April 17
  • Cases: 2 residents, 0 staff
  • Deaths: 0

Manoir Marochel

  • Outbreak declared April 5
  • Cases: 9 residents, 3 staff members
  • Deaths: 0

Maplewood Retirement Community

  • Outbreak declared March 28
  • Cases: 10 residents, 5 staff members
  • Deaths: 0

Montfort Long-term Care Centre

  • Outbreak declared April 8
  • Cases: 61 residents, 8 staff members
  • Deaths: 11 residents

Perley & Rideau Veterans' Health Centre

  • Outbreak declared April 15
  • Cases: 7 residents, 2 staff members
  • Deaths: 0

Promenade

  • Outbreak declared March 26
  • Cases: 12 residents, 1 staff member
  • Deaths: 4 residents

St. Louis Residence

  • Outbreak declared N/A
  • Cases: 1 staff member, 0 residents
  • Deaths: 0

Starwood

  • Outbreak declared April 9
  • Cases: 4 staff members, 0 residents
  • Deaths: 0

The Ottawa Hospital General Campus – 5 West/BMT

  • Outbreak declared April 5
  • Cases: 6 patients, 3 staff members
  • Deaths: 1 patient

University of Ottawa Heart Institute – H5

  • Outbreak declared April 17
  • Cases: 2 patients, 0 staff members
  • Deaths: 1 patient

Villa Marconi

  • Outbreak declared April 10
  • Cases: 3 staff member, 0 residents
  • Deaths: 0

Three outbreaks in wards of the Montfort Hospital, one outbreak in the A Five B Five AMA section of the Ottawa Hospital General Campus, and outbreaks at the Park Place and Waterford Residence homes and the Settler's Ridge group home have been declared resolved. Each involved a single case and no one invovled in those outbreaks has died.

In Thursday's update, OPH listed a new outbreak at the Park Place retirement home but only said the information was "pending." No case numbers were released.