MLAs spar, tensions soar over COVID-19 deaths in Manitoba care homes

Tensions over the safety of residents at personal care homes grappling withCOVID-19 turned into a heated debate at the Manitoba Legislature onWednesday.

During question period, the Opposition New Democrats repeatedly accused the government of letting downseniors, while theProgressive Conservatives said their critics were sowing unnecessary fear as their governmentconfrontsthe outbreaks head-on.

NDP Leader Wab KinewrespondedWednesday to a CBC News reportthat some residents who have COVID-19 at Parkview Place the site ofthe deadliest outbreak in Manitoba wereseparated from others only byan end table.

"Why is this government continuing to fail seniors?" Kinewsaidin a war of words over the downtown Winnipeg facility, where 19 people have died and 104 residents have tested positive for the virus.

"When will they step in to take control of the Parkview Place personal care home so that no one else dies?"

No time for partisan attacks: Pallister

Premier Brian Pallister accused the NDP of trying to score cheap political points witha tragedy.

The provincehas maintained it is doing everything it can to contain COVID-19, while theillness spreadsat numerouscare homes.

Health Minister Cameron Friesen has repeated that the province's strict protocolsensured the cornavirus that causes COVID-19was kept out ofcare homes early in the pandemic, but since that's no longer the case, it iscommitted to isolating residents and distributingpersonal protective equipment.

As of Tuesday,the province recorded 247 positive cases 189 residents and 58 staff of the illness at 16 personal care homes currently experiencingoutbreaks, resulting in 27 deaths.

In arguing for the province to assume management of the care home, Kinew cited a March inspection at Parkview, conducted before the pandemic hit,which foundmajor concerns with cleanliness and infection control, including evidence ofcockroachesand filthy washrooms that smelled of urine.

A surprise inspection earlier this month noted COVID-19 hadspread to most of the facility's 12 floors and efforts to place sick residents into certain areas of the home are in the works.

"The premier should commit to letting seniors know how long should they expect to live in a building with cockroaches?" Kinew said, talking overa few PC MLAs.

Later, NDP health critic UzomaAsagwaraalleged that Friesendoesn't understand what is happening at Parkview Place.

To make their point, Asagwara referenced instances where Friesen said there was an on-site physician at Parkview,although there wasn't.

"He claims there was cohortingat the facility, but we learned that that just means a bedside table in between residents," they said.

Critics undermining confidence: Friesen

Friesen disputedNDP claims that there are shortages of bothpersonal protective equipment andphysicians available to help,and that sick residents weren't being cohorted.

"The Opposition said that the region wasn't responding. False. The Opposition said no help had been sent. False. The Opposition said there was no communication with families. False," Friesen said.

Kinew "went so far to undermine the chief provincial public [health]officer when he stated that everyone should be moved out of Parkview Place, which we know in Italy and France killed people," said Friesen.

"Will the leader of the Opposition renounce his idiotic comments that would have put Manitobans and the people of Parkview Placeat risk?"

The NDP leadersaid in a CJOBinterview last week thatthe province should consider removing residents from Parkview.

Asagwara later asked Friesen to commit to immediate in-person inspections of every care home with COVID-19 cases.

The health minister stated there will be more inspections conducted during this global pandemic than usual, not fewer.