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Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 (nCoV-2019)

Second wave of COVID strikes hard at Toronto’s previously unscathed Copernicus Lodge nursing home​


From link.

Family of the 228 residents at Copernicus Lodge breathed a sigh of relief when the west-end Toronto long-term-care facility emerged from the first wave of the pandemic without a COVID-19 outbreak.

The not-for-profit, nursing home on Roncesvalles Avenue hasn’t been so fortunate this time around, and now an outbreak, declared Dec. 16, has left “essential caregivers” feeling shut out — at the very time when the facility, like many, is facing an acute staffing shortage.

“We want to come in as family members and help out. We’re prepared to wear PPE head to toe, take every precaution, wear masks, face shields, and stay inside the room. We would continue to be responsible,” said Monika Quinn on Saturday. Her mother and mother-in-law are both 94 and live at Copernicus.

As of Jan. 1, there had been 42 Copernicus residents who have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the home’s website. Six people have recovered and three died due to COVID-19, leaving a total of 33 active cases. In addition, there are 28 staff cases. Two have recovered and returned to work.

John Jarema, whose mother turns 93 Sunday, accepts he won’t be able to visit her to wish her a Happy Birthday. She has Alzheimer’s and is on one of those units with COVID-19 positive cases. He’s an essential caregiver.

“I will drop off a present at the front desk, sanitized, and hope it gets to her,” he said Saturday.

But he’s still upset he wasn’t allowed in before Christmas, even when her floor had no positive cases, and particularly after hearing about other long-term-care homes, “even in an outbreak, are allowing essential caregivers to still visit.”

Mary Oko hasn’t seen her mother inside Copernicus since mid-December. She and all the other residents have been required to stay in their rooms for weeks, without visitors and eating out of “styrofoam containers.”

The 228 residents, many from the Polish community, have been denied access to their loved ones since Dec. 20 due to the initial outbreak that only impacted nine residents, primarily in one living unit, she says.

She points to a provincial directive that says someone performing essential support services are the only type of visitors “allowed when a LTCH is in an outbreak.”

“But they’re still not letting us in,” Oko said. “And each week, the numbers are getting worse and why? Because the staff are exhausted,” and are stretched, possibly inadvertently spreading transmission, while trying to serve all the residents without the “valuable relief” provided by families, or volunteers.

Oko is also hearing, anecdotally, that other long-term care homes are allowing in essential caregivers.

“My question to Toronto Public Health is we’re in the same city, why are the policies different?”

Dr. Elizabeth Rea, associate medical officer of health, Toronto Public Health, wrote in email to the Star that the provincial directive does allow for “specific direction to halt visitors during outbreaks at the discretion of local public health. We aim to continue allowing essential visitors as they are a critical support the well-being of residents.”

While a confirmed COVID outbreak has been declared on multiple floors at Copernicus, “a decision was made to temporarily pause outside visitors ... to allow staff to quickly focus on putting outbreak measures and additional precautions in place to reduce virus spread and to protect staff and residents in this home.”

That appears to be working, she wrote.
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“We are cautiously optimistic that this outbreak is stabilizing.” She noted the management team, which includes Copernicus, TPH, and Unity Health, began opening up several units to essential visitors over the weekend.

“As additional test results come in over the next few days we hope to expand visits safely to all units, and also extend the length of visits.”
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Loblaw Companies Ltd. reports 56 COVID-19 cases among workers at GTA stores since Christmas Eve​


Jan 03, 2021

Loblaw Companies Ltd. is reporting that at least 56 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since Christmas Eve at 43 stores it owns and operates in the Greater Toronto Area.

The retailer says it has recorded confirmed cases among workers at stores in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham and Whitby. In some stores, there have been more than one case.

The stores with the infected employees include Shoppers Drug Mart, No Frills, Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore and Fortinos.

"In these cases, we work closely with public health and follow their guidance to ensure proper notification of close contacts and required cleaning and sanitization in our stores," Loblaw Companies Ltd. said in a message on its website.

Each entry on a list on its website includes the date of the positive test, the last day that the infected employee or employees worked and the store's name and address.

In one entry on Dec. 31, Loblaw Companies Ltd. says "multiple team members" tested positive at Fortinos, 3940 Highway 7 in Vaughan, Ont. It doesn't say how many employees have COVID-19 at that store.

The stores fall under the jurisdiction of five public health units because they are located in Toronto, Peel, York, Durham and Halton regions.

 
Maybe worth remembering that they employ 1 in 120 Canadians of working age.
 
In Celebration of

Joseph A. Solarski​

January 24, 1925 - December 30, 2020

From link.

e9ba3e24-b924-4cf7-8fda-ecc9e5b0f073.jpeg

Quickly and quietly succumbing to the Covid-19 virus, Joe left us on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at Copernicus Lodge, where he had resided for the past 12 years just shy of his 96th birthday,

Joseph A. Solarski was born on January 24, 1925 in Wislica, Poland. At four years of age, accompanied by his mother Emilia, Joe left Poland, immigrating to Canada where he was reunited with his father Joseph. Within a year, the family welcomed the arrival of Joe’s brother Stanislaw (Stan) and together they resided in the area around Queen and Bathurst Streets in Toronto, close to the centre of the Polish community at St. Stanislaus Church on Dennison Ave.

Joe attended St. Mary’s elementary school and St. Michael’s College School. From his childhood on, Joe held a great passion for sports. He became an accomplished softball pitcher and played football at St. Michael’s. In later years, tennis became his game of choice and he played it well into his 80’s

In 1944, upon turning 19 years of age, while in his final year at St. Michael’s, Joe enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and following basic training in Toronto and Montreal he was shipped overseas where he served the last year of World War II with the RCAF in England.

Returning to Canada in 1947, Joe completed his high school studies and enrolled in the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto. In 1954, with the support and assistance of his wife Kazmiera (Kazia), he opened Solarski Pharmacy across from St. Casimir’s Church on Roncesvalles Avenue. Toronto’s Polish community had moved west and the church and Solarski Pharmacy served as its centre. To this day, Solarski Pharmacy still holds a place in the hearts and memories of many Polish Canadians.

During the 50 years that Joe owned and operated the pharmacy he was an active member of the community belonging to The Knights of Columbus and other organizations. In the mid 1970’s with serious discussion underway to build a seniors’ home for Toronto’s Polish Community, Joe joined Father Michael Smith becoming one of the founders of Copernicus Lodge.

Predeceased by Kazia, his loving wife of 63 years, a proud Polish Canadian, Joe Solarski,
WWII RCAF veteran; Pharmacist; and Copernicus Lodge founder provided a lasting legacy for his proud family. He leaves behind three children; John (Marie), Joanne (Tom Bird), and Paul, seven grandchildren; Matthew (Nikki), Andrea (Drew McDowell), Erik (Carrie), Anysia (James), Michael (Callie), Emily and Annie, and four great-grandchildren; Finley and Avery McDowell and Cameron and Devon Solarski.

The family is most appreciative of the comforting care that Joe received from the nursing team on 6 South at Copernicus Lodge.

Cremation has taken place and a Mass of Christian Burial and Celebration of Life will take place at a later date. In Joe’s memory, contributions to the Copernicus Lodge Foundation, 66 Roncesvalles Avenue Toronto would be appreciated.
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AlbertC said:

Loblaw Companies Ltd. reports 56 COVID-19 cases among workers at GTA stores since Christmas Eve​


Jan 03, 2021

Loblaw Companies Ltd. is reporting that at least 56 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since Christmas Eve at 43 stores it owns and operates in the Greater Toronto Area.

The retailer says it has recorded confirmed cases among workers at stores in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham and Whitby. In some stores, there have been more than one case.

The stores with the infected employees include Shoppers Drug Mart, No Frills, Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore and Fortinos.

"In these cases, we work closely with public health and follow their guidance to ensure proper notification of close contacts and required cleaning and sanitization in our stores," Loblaw Companies Ltd. said in a message on its website.

Each entry on a list on its website includes the date of the positive test, the last day that the infected employee or employees worked and the store's name and address.

In one entry on Dec. 31, Loblaw Companies Ltd. says "multiple team members" tested positive at Fortinos, 3940 Highway 7 in Vaughan, Ont. It doesn't say how many employees have COVID-19 at that store.

The stores fall under the jurisdiction of five public health units because they are located in Toronto, Peel, York, Durham and Halton regions.

Click to expand...

The Real Canadian Superstore at Brimley/Progress along with the Loblaws at VP/Gerrard have cases among staff every week. It is a wonder how they are permitted to remain open.
 
1609774533773.png

1609774427478.png

Both of the Above, From:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1346116556904947713

ICU is stablish, Vents down a bit............but hospitalizations with a big climb again.............

The volatility is peculiar with 2 steep increases and 1 steep decrease in less than a week.
 
While we're at it................the vaccine rollout program is going exceedingly slowly...........less than 5,000 doses administered yesterday, below previous highs.

We're on a pace for ~1.6M Ontarians to be vaccinated by year's end..........or about 12% of the population.

We have sufficient doses for a more aggressive pace.

Data from the gov't portal:

1609774884651.png


#7 is yesterday.
 
cdr108 said:
where did you find out which locations have cases?
Click to expand...
www.loblaw.ca

COVID-19 | Loblaw Companies Ltd.

Given the important role we play in our communities, we are prepared for all possible situations, including a positive test for COVID-19 in our stores. In these cases, we work closely with public health and follow their guidance to ensure proper notification of close contacts and required...
www.loblaw.ca www.loblaw.ca
 
PinkLucy said:
I'm less than impressed with the rollout so far. Hopefully things will pick up now that the holiday season is over. Or maybe I'm just impatient. At any rate, there's now a provincial status update on vaccines. https://covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccines-ontario
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As am I although, having said that, I'm not aware of the number of doses received. Some of the approved products require specialized handling and storage, but we apparently hired a 'crack' team of organizational, logistical, leadership and medical experts to lead this, and I'm not yet seeing the return on our investment.
 
Toronto finally publishing some workplace outbreak data. Along with mildly more rigid international travel restrictions it's good that our governments are starting to implement self-evident policy after 10-months of delay.

They should publish data about outbreaks in large multi-residential communities as well as a matter of self-evident public policy.
 
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