UPDATED: Four more COVID-19 deaths reported at Chartwell Aurora

April 30, 2020 · 0 Comments

The Region of York is reporting 34 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among residents at Chartwell Aurora (formerly Resthaven), with a further 7 cases among healthcare workers.

Of these 34 residential cases, eight residents had lost their battle with the virus, an increase of four since April 28.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, 10 Aurora residents have died due to the illness as of April 30

At the start of the pandemic, Chartwell Aurora had a total of 235 residents and 300 healthcare workers.

The outbreak at Chartwell Aurora continues as the Province brings forward new measures to protect vulnerable residents in long-term care homes and other residential settings across the Province.

On Friday, the Ontario Government announced additional measures to protect Ontario’s “most vulnerable citizens and ensure frontline service can continue to be delivered in priority areas.”

York Region is currently grappling with active outbreaks at 14 long-term care residences (two further outbreaks are marked resolved) and nearly 50 resident deaths related to COVID-19. An additional 25 outbreaks and 7 deaths have taken place in community care settings.

More than 280 cases among healthcare workers are now confirmed, one of whom has lost the fight.

The growing number of cases at long-term care homes across the province continues to be, in the words of Premier Doug Ford, the new frontline of the battle against COVID-19.

Ontario’s new COVID-19 Action Plan for Vulnerable People is aimed “to better protect vulnerable populations during the outbreak of COVID-19.”

This plan builds on previously announced measures to protect people living in high-risk settings, including homes serving those with developmental disabilities, shelters for survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking, children’s residential settings, and those residential settings supporting vulnerable Indigenous individuals and families both on and off reserve.

“The plan we are announcing today will build on and support the critical work that is currently being carried out each and every day by our frontline heroes to care for our most vulnerable citizens,” said Premier Ford last week. “These people are most at risk during this pandemic and that’s why we are helping these organizations immediately ramp up screening and testing, deploy more protective masks and gloves, and put more boots on the ground in the fight against COVID-19.”

By Brock Weir