Page - 120 - in VULNERABLE - The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19

VULNERABLE120 profit.21 Whether public or private, almost all feature chronic under- staffing by poorly paid workers juggling multiple jobs.22 This has con- tributed to “case clusters” of COVID-19 in homes in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.23 Workers complain of inadequate personal pro- tective equipment, and in some especially notorious incidents, they have even walked off the job, leaving residents lying in soiled beds, unfed and ill, for days.24 Numerous provinces have struggled to contain the spread of the disease, going so far as to ask members of the Canadian Armed Forces to deploy to the homes. While some provinces and even cities have slowed the spread,25 at the time of writing, the situation in long-term care homes was linked to over three-quarters of deaths nationwide.26 The federal government has faced increasing pressure to step in. In cooperation with provinces, it has created guidelines for best prac- tices, but many consider such tools useless without a centralized com- pliance mechanism. Those raising the need for federal intervention tend to focus on prohibiting for-profit centres; setting minimum staffing requirements and rates of pay; preventing workers from moving between homes; mandating the use of personal protective equipment; and creating 21. Anne Leclair, “Coronavirus: Working Conditions at Residence Herron and Owner’s Past Under Scrutiny”, Global  News  (16 April 2020), online: <https://global- news.ca/news/6824575/working-conditions-owner-residence-herron-scrutiny/>. 22. See Pat Armstrong, Hugh Armstrong & Ivy Bourgeault, this volume, Chapter E-1. 23. Colin Perkel, “New Nursing Home Cluster Amid COVID Case Rise and Economic Gloom”, The Canadian Press (27 March 2020), online: <https://www. ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/new-nursing-home-cluster-amid-covid-case- rise-and-economic-gloom-1.4871210>. 24. Leclair, supra note 22. See also the horrendous situation that occurred at the Participation House facility in Markham, Ontario: Sean Davidson, “Fourth Resident of Participation House in Markham Dies of COVID-19”, CP24 (24 April 2020), online: <https://www.cp24.com/news/fourth-resident-of-partic- ipation-house-in-markham-dies-of-covid-19-1.4911362>. 25. B.C., in particular, acted quickly and effectively: Natalie Obiko Pearson, “COVID- 19: B.C.—The Virus Epicentre that Wasn’t”, The Province (16 May 2020), online: <https://theprovince.com/news/local-news/covid-19-b-c-the-virus-epicentre- that-wasnt/wcm/cfc1a7d6-1f92-405e-8bb6-4bc8426404b6>. See also the striking success of the City of Kingston, Ontario: Kimberley Johnson, “Kingston Officially Clear of Positive COVID-19 Cases”, CTV News (9 May 2020), online: <https://ottawa. ctvnews.ca/kingston-officially-clear-of-positive-covid-19-cases-1.4932364>. 26. Marieke Walsh and Ivan Semeniuk, “Long-Term Care Connected to 79 Per Cent of COVID-19 Deaths in Canada”, The  Globe  and  Mail  (28 April 2020), online: <https:// www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-long-term-care-connected-to-79- per-cent-of-covid-19-deaths-in-canada/>.