8th death reported at Markham long-term care facility

By News Staff

Another resident at a Markham long-term care home has died after an outbreak of COVID-19 was declared at the facility last month.

Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti confirmed an 83-year-old woman at Markhaven Home for Seniors has passed away, marking the eighth death at the facility since the start of the outbreak March 21.

“Sending our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones,” Scarpitti wrote in a Twitter post. “Thinking of everyone at Markhaven during this difficult time.”

Scarpitti previously confirmed the death of an 85-year-old woman back on April 5 and an 80-year-old man the following day.

On Sunday, health officials said 86 outbreaks have been reported in long-term care homes across the province.

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, on Sunday lamented the deaths that COVID-19 has caused in long-term care facilities across the country, which she described in a statement as a “tragic legacy of this pandemic.”

“These heart-breaking events underscored the need for stringent infection prevention and control measures and led to the development of infection prevention and control guidance for long-term care homes,” she added.

That guidance includes strict rules around who can enter such facilities and detailed instructions on how to minimize the chances of an outbreak through proper hygiene and screening.

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