29 dead in outbreak in Scarborough long-term-care home

Twenty-nine residents of a long-term-care home in Scarborough have died in a outbreak that began last month, its operators confirmed Wednesday.

Kennedy Lodge Long Term Care Home, near Ellesmere Road, has had 92 confirmed resident cases since Oct. 2, said the statement from Revera Inc.

“The team at Kennedy Lodge offers its most sincere condolences to the families and friends of the residents who passed away during the pandemic,” Dr. Rhonda Collins, Revera chief medical officer, said in a statement.

Thirty residents at the 289-bed facility have active cases and 32 have recovered, the statement said.

Revera also said that 35 staff members have tested positive. Of those, 17 cases are resolved and the others are at home in self-isolation.

“(Toronto Public Health) and Scarborough Health Network (SHN) have been working closely with us to help manage the outbreak,” the statement said. “SHN has helped us with enhanced cleaning at Kennedy Lodge and is supporting our infection control and (personal protective equipment) education.”

The statement added that all residents are monitored for symptoms twice daily and tested if they present any symptoms for COVID-19. Additionally, staff are screened before and after shifts, and are required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

Earlier this year, Kennedy Lodge was doing well in the pandemic’s first wave. By the end of April, it hadn’t reported even a single case of COVID-19, .

The home implemented strict pandemic outbreak protocols in March, before provincial directives were issued.

It had implemented physical distancing, enhanced cleaning, more staff where needed, universal masking for all employees and the appropriate use of personal protective equipment.

In early April, Revera also implemented a policy barring personal support workers from working at multiple locations to prevent spread of the illness.

Kennedy Lodge is not the only Scarborough facility to be hit hard during the second wave.

at the 204-bed Rockcliffe Care Community nursing home, have COVID-19, and one has died of the disease.

By Wednesday, an outbreak identified nine days earlier infected 110 residents and 46 staff at the Lawrence Avenue East facility, Rockcliffe Care’s owner Sienna Senior Living confirmed.

In a statement, the for-profit company said its “deepest sympathies go out” to the deceased resident’s family, and that Sienna is working with Toronto Public Health and the Scarborough Health Network to protect its residents and staff, “who are working tirelessly.”

Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases at the Main Street Terrace long-term-care home has dropped following efforts from Michael Garron Hospital and Toronto Public Health.

The first positive case in the second wave came on Oct. 13 at the home near Gerrard St. E. and Woodbine Ave. On Oct. 23, Revera Retirement Living and Long-Term Care Services informed family members that an outbreak had occurred in the 150-bed home; by Nov. 2, the case number had reached a peak of 65.

As of Monday, the number of active cases was down to 50, as

Revera is the owner of 225 and manager of 186 retirement and long-term-care homes in Canada, according to its website.

With files from toronto.com and Local Journalism Initiative reporter Ali Raza

Manuela Vega is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: