Bed in a long term care home. © Can Stock Photo / stokketeBed in a long term care home. © Can Stock Photo / stokkete
Windsor

Day of Action on long-term care set for Thursday

The Ontario Health Coalition is calling on the provincial government to act on staffing issues in long-term care facilities.

To ensure its concerns will be heard at Queens Park, the coalition will sponsor a Day of Action on Thursday, complete with vehicle parades and media conferences scheduled at locations across the province.

With the long-term care industry deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the coalition has turned to the government for help, believing that Ontario is lagging behind other provinces in making improvements.

"There is no clear recruitment plan and they will not address the longstanding issues with lack of full-time work and poor conditions," read a media release from the coalition. "Quebec and British Columbia acted months ago and are doing more. We are calling for immediate action by the Ford government to recruit & train staff, improve pay and working conditions and provide full-time work."

Events on Thursday will be limited to 25 people at a time due to provincial pandemic-control regulations. To compensate, participants are invited to join in motorcades and press conferences with physical distancing.

The Day of Action begins at 9:30 a.m. Thursday outside Queens Park in Toronto, with a motorcade and an online media conference. At 11 a.m., local events will take place across Ontario.

In Windsor, a demonstration is set for outside Heron Terrace on McNorton Road. In Chatham-Kent, an event is planned for outside the constituency office of MPP Rick Nicholls on Heritage Road.

Complete information on the Day of Action can be found at the coalition's official website.

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