Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece made a statement in the Ontario legislature recognizing the leadership and sacrifice of staff at long-term care homes throughout his riding.
He thanked the staff and administration of several homes for winning the battle against the novel coronavirus.
Pettapiece also urged patience, understanding, and kindness as homes begin to open for visits, asking people to respect the staff and follow the rules to keep staff and residents safe, and to keep COVID out.
“For Ontario’s long-term care homes, COVID-19 was a time of incredible difficulty—and continues to be. Tragically, some homes failed. We’ve all heard it—and we need to fix it. But we don’t hear as much about the homes and staff who, despite everything, rose to the challenge. In Perth-Wellington, several homes went into outbreak: Hillside Manor, Greenwood Court, Royal Terrace, and Strathcona. They are no longer in the outbreak. For that, we can thank staff and administration."
“People who worked long hours away from their families. People who pushed themselves, working way beyond their job description. People who accepted the risks, not knowing how much PPE was left—or whether they might come down with COVID. People who kept coming back to work, day after day. I want to thank them at every home in Perth-Wellington. The rest of us will never fully know their contributions. I also want to thank the people and businesses who donated PPE, food, or finances. But there is more we can do to help. For many families unable to visit loved ones, it’s been a long, tough road. We want to visit them, and they want to see us too," he added.
