NSNDP

June 30th, 2020

Burrill: Long-term care review must address staffing, need for single-occupancy rooms

HALIFAX -- NDP leader Gary Burrill made the following statement about the government’s announcement of a review of the COVID-19 outbreak at Northwood:

“For nearly 8 weeks, our caucus has been calling for an inquiry into the COVID-19 outbreak that led to 53 deaths at Northwood. Staff and residents have made enormous efforts and sacrifices to meet this crisis, and we owe it to them to take stock of the lessons learned from this experience--and implement them in a provincial plan for long-term care.
We know that the prevention of future outbreaks depends on adequate staffing and adequate physical space for residents. Any review worth its salt will thoroughly consider these factors and acknowledge the need for serious investment in long-term care. One resident, one room and one washroom must be the standard moving forward.”

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