84 active COVID-19 cases confirmed at Brampton long-term care home

A care home in Brampton, Ont., says they're taking "several additional steps" to protect everyone in the home after 84 active COVID-19 cases were confirmed in staff and residents.

In a statement, Hawthorn Woods Care Community said there are 59 residents and 25 staff members who have active positive cases of COVID-19. Five resident cases and 10 staff member cases have resolved, the home said.

The care home is situated in Brampton, which is experiencing a "very high positivity rate of COVID-19 in the community," the statement said.

"Unfortunately, this puts hospitals, long-term care and schools at greater risk during the pandemic. Our team members, along with public health and partners at William Osler Health System, are working extremely hard to protect residents, and everyone's safety is our highest priority," the home said.

Residents and officials in Brampton have said high case counts in the area stem from many people relying on precarious workin settings that make themmore susceptible to COVID-19, like factories and other industrial environments.

Socio-economic concerns along with the poor funding of the local public health unit services have put the community at higher risk, they say.

The long-term care home said it continues to communicate withfamilies as it putsisolation protocols in place.A team of physicians isproviding guidance and the residence is being deep cleaned.

Infection Prevention and Control Canada are also completing an audit, the home said.

"We want to assure families that the team meets multiple times a day to assess and respond to the situation continuously," the statement said.