QUEEN’S PARK — Mike Schreiner released the following statement after it was announced that families could once again begin visiting relatives in long-term care:
“ I understand the agony of families and residents who are desperate to see each other after months of isolating elders in long-term care homes.
With visitations once again allowed, the Government will need to do a better job of keeping COVID-19 out of long-term care homes by improving minimum standards of care, the number of Registered Nurses, and access to PPE.
If visitations can be done safely, then I completely support this decision to improve the mental health of everyone involved.
But this will require an iron-clad testing and contact tracing system to prevent the return of the virus into long-term care homes.
We need to ensure that asymptomatic relatives can be tested quickly and accurately so they can visit their loved ones.”