As of Monday, January 4th, there are 233 long-term care homes in Ontario experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, a record-high number for the pandemic. In total, 3,200 new cases and 29 more deaths have been recorded, as 1,160 residents and 1,140 staff members remain infected.

The hardest-hit facility in terms of active cases is Sienna Living’s St. George Care Community, located in the Annex neighbourhood of Toronto. In a statement, the company catering to senior residents said it has implemented comprehensive infection prevention and control protocols and isolation precautions for the residents.

Meanwhile, Tendercare Living Centre in Scarborough remains the hardest-hit facility in terms of resident deaths with 62. On January 2nd, scores of protesters rallied outside the Tendercare facility to draw attention to the deadly outbreak that led to North York Hospital taking over some of the home’s key administrative duties.

In response to the crisis, the Ontario Health Coalition, an association representing the province’s patients and health-care workers, is calling for the armed forces to once again intervene. The group commented that “while it isn’t their first choice, there aren’t many options while the outbreaks grow.”

Back in May 2020, after the first wave resulted in countless COVID-19 outbreaks and related deaths, the Canadian Armed Forces were called in and subsequently issued a scathing report on the state of Ontario’s long-term care homes, shedding light on the grim conditions service members observed in multiple residences.