Retirement homes across Hastings-Lennox and Addington received $223,780 in provincial government funding to cover COVID-19 related costs such as hiring, training and testing additional staff, and sanitizing residences and purchasing supplies to prevent and contain the spread of infection.
This funding is in addition to the $30.9 million the province provided retirement homes earlier in the pandemic.
“I’m pleased to see our retirement homes in Madoc, Tamworth, Napanee, Stirling, Marmora and Amherstview receive an additional $223,780 to help with their COVID costs,” said Hastings-Lennox and Addington MPP Daryl Kramp. “It’s been a tough year but they’ve kept our loved ones safe and secure.”
“Retirement home operators are working tirelessly to stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep residents and staff safe,” said Raymond Cho, minister for seniors and accessibility. “Our government’s additional funding will enable retirement homes to purchase more critical supplies like PPE, products to carry out deep cleaning, or to support more on-site testing to help further prevent and contain outbreaks.”
Under the leadership of Gen. (Ret’d) Rick Hillier, Ontario’s three-phase vaccination plan is making steady progress. To date over 56,000 residents and over 23,000 workers in retirement homes have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and of them over 35,000 residents and 15,000 staff have received both doses.
“Our priority since the start of the pandemic has been clear — protecting people’s health. That means ensuring retirement home operators and staff have the resources they need to keep people safe,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, minister of finance and president of the treasury board. “Making sure our seniors are protected and cared for is part of our plan to do whatever is necessary to defeat COVID-19.”