HALIFAX Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called on the Premiers of Atlantic Canada to help Ontario fight their third wave of COVID-19. As COVID-19 cases surge in Toronto, and field hospitals are set to open, staff from Atlantic Canada and the territories are being called on to help as Ontario fights its third wave “We need ICU physicians, general internal medicine physicians, and nurses that can work in the ICU and emergency department,” says Dr. Lisa Salamon-Switzman of the Ontario Medical Association, adding that they also need respiratory therapists in addition to nurses and doctors. In a video posted to Twitter on Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said federal departments and some Canadian provinces are working to send health-care workers and equipment to help Ontario as it battles record-breaking COVID-19 numbers
HALIFAX While the numbers are climbing more quickly, there are concerns that not all Nova Scotia seniors will be vaccinated by the end of the month. While most clinics are operating smoothly, one seniors advocate is critical of the way the province is communicating about vaccines. Russell Cook received his first vaccine shot on Thursday and said the process was quick. The nurses are great too, says Cook, who adds that after a difficult pandemic year, he s no longer feeling as anxious. I was until I got my shot, he said. But, he admits he was hoping to get vaccinated much earlier in the year.
HALIFAX Flags were flying at half-staff Thursday in Fredericton, as Canadians from coast-to-coast mark a national day of observance to commemorate those who have died from COVID-19, exactly one year after the virus was declared a pandemic. The past year has been and continues to be challenging for Maritimers especially those in long-term care and their families. We just had a recent outbreak in Edmundston and that just put the fear of God into a lot of people, said Cecile Cassista, Executive Director of the Coalition for Seniors and Nursing Home Residents Rights in Riverview, N.B.
Alberta care homes seek legislation to protect them from COVID-related lawsuits Bookmark Please log in to listen to this story. Also available in French and Mandarin. Log In Create Free Account
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Todd Korol/Todd Korol/The Globe and Mail
Alberta’s long-term care homes are pressing the provincial government to protect them from lawsuits related to COVID-19 outbreaks, which the industry argues could make it impossible to get insurance and continue operating.
The Alberta Continuing Care Association, or ACCA, is lobbying the provincial government to consider legislation similar to a law passed in Ontario last year, which faced criticism for making it more difficult for relatives and residents to sue for failures related to COVID-19. There have been several class-action lawsuits already filed against operators in Alberta, which has had the highest pro