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‘We just don’t know’: Georgian Bay General Hospital officials unsure how COVID-19 entered facility

Nov 1, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Local health officials are still working to try to determine the source of a COVID-19 outbreak at Georgian Bay General Hospital.

“As far as how it got into our organization, we just don’t know,” said Dr. Dan Lee, COVID-19 medical lead and chief of emergency medicine at GBGH. “It is a tricky virus that can easily be spread, and sometimes it is difficult to tell how that happens.”

The outbreak at the Midland hospital was declared Dec. 4 after a staff member and patient tested positive for the virus. On Dec. 7, the hospital announced an additional 13 cases, with 12 more staff members and another patient testing positive.

Since then, hospital staff and those with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit have been feverishly conducting contact tracing for all 15 reported cases in an attempt to find out how it spread through the facility.

“The (health unit) is still trying to determine what the index case may have been and how it may have been transferred,” said Lee.

Hospital officials are in charge of contact tracing for the staff at the hospital and are working to determine who else at GBGH may have come into contact with the 15 positive cases. Health unit officials are doing contact tracing out into the community, including looking at recent visitors to the hospital and patients who were recently discharged.

According to Lee, nearly 500 staff members have been tested for COVID-19 following the pair of positive tests on Dec. 4.

“We made a decision over the weekend to go above and beyond what the recommendations were (from the health unit) and test all staff at the hospital,” said Lee. “I think this is going to be very helpful in limiting the transmission.”

Protocols at GBGH have been ramped up in response to the outbreak, which started in the 2 North inpatient unit. Since then, all admissions to 2 North have been halted and staff have been prevented from moving between floors.

Staff are now required to put on a gown and gloves prior to assessing any patient at the hospital. Capacity restrictions have been enhanced for staff break rooms, and more spaces have been designated as break areas to allow staff to keep their distance from one another.

“We’ve enhanced all our protocols beyond (Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care) guidelines,” said Lee.

The outbreak currently only extends to the inpatient units at GBGH, including 2 North, 2 East, 1 North, the intensive-care unit and obstetrics. The emergency department is not part of the outbreak.

“It is still safe to come in,” said Lee. “Even if we go to a facility-wide outbreak, we have all of our enhanced protocols in place to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. If everyone is following the protocols — our staff, our visitors, our patients — then there is minimal risk.”

While all non-urgent and elective surgeries scheduled at the hospital have been postponed, residents are still encouraged to seek medical attention if they need it.

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A study’s surprising revelation about which students are faring better under the pandemic

Oct 1, 2021 , , , , by shlf

A new study out of the University of Toronto revealed surprising results, researchers say, on how students’ mental health has fared during COVID-19 and under the pandemic-mandated campus shutdown earlier this year.

The study, published in early September in the journal Canadian Psychology, revealed that U of T students with mental health concerns are faring similarly, or better, under the than they were a year ago.

But students who have no history of mental health issues reporting a higher level of depressive symptoms during the pandemic than they had previously.

Chloe Hamza, assistant professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and lead author , said the findings went against her expectation.

“We expected that students with pre-existing mental health concerns would be the ones who are most vulnerable to the psychological impacts of COVID-19,” Hamza said.

Instead, she said it was students who were faring well academically and socially that suffered more when the pandemic hit.

Students who were already struggling, Hamza added, said they were dealing with feelings of loneliness and isolation before the pandemic began. As a result, those students with pre-existing mental health conditions reported lower levels of academic alienation and friendship problems under lockdown.

They also reported slightly decreased perceived stress and feelings of being a burden.

Hamza said this is likely due to the reduction in academic, work or other time commitments under lockdown, which may have made life a little bit more manageable for those who were already having a hard time.

But students without pre-existing mental health conditions reported higher rates of alcohol consumption and depressive symptoms compared to last year as a result of the pandemic, prompting Hamza’s study to conclude there was a link between social isolation and worsening mental health among university students — the study states that “increasing social mistreatment” led to greater psychological distress among students.

Researchers surveyed round 730 second-year University of Toronto students in May. Those students were already surveyed about their mental health a year prior in 2019, and researchers compared the recent findings to those from last year to identify how students’ levels of stress and anxiety have changed overtime.

The University of Toronto, like the majority of universities and colleges across Canada, cancelled in-class sessions since March 13, and students are still learning virtually. Most big social events like Fall Orientation or Thanksgiving dinners have been cancelled and are being held online, redefining what once were pivotal aspects of university and college social life.

Little is still known through research about how students are handling this sudden shift to their daily reality. But Hamza’s study is one of the first looks at how students’ mental health in Canada is changing in light of the pandemic — a young cohort in an age group that has also as major cities in Canada experience a second wave.

Julia Pereira, president of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, which represents around 150,000 students in the province, said university students have felt immense pressure since the pandemic began. Academically, Pereira said they’re worried about excelling in this new online learning environment. As for their social life, she said many students profoundly miss the physical campus community.

“Students are used to coming back, starting school and being surrounded by their friends and their peers and meeting with their professors one on one,” Pereira said. “I think that they’re missing that social interaction.”

Pereira, who also serves as vice-president at Wilfrid Laurier University’s student union, said many student leaders and universities across the province have tried to replicate some of these social experiences online.

But “unfortunately,” she added, “these online experiences aren’t going to completely substitute that social aspect of university that students really value.”

Hamza said her study’s findings underscore how important socialization is to post-secondary students, and that they’re a cohort that needs to be further supported by their community. She added the rise in COVID-19 cases among youth could be driven by the need of this young cohort to build connections and hang out with peers.

“Emerging adulthood is this period where there is an increased need for affiliation,” Hamza said. “So how do we find ways to support young adults in their affiliated needs, while also adhering to public health recommendations? I think that’s something we need to think about.”

But she said it’s important to also realize students are more vulnerable to spread of the virus because they also often live in shared housing, and may not have the luxury to safely isolate should they fall ill.

While Hamza’s study offers a glimpse of how students were feeling in May, a few months after lockdown, Marija Padjen, director of the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health, said students are likely still feeling the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health and will be for months to come as the pandemic continues to rage.

It is why she emphasized a message of hope and taking care of oneself as daily life continues to be disrupted: “How do we make sure we’re exercising, we’re getting sleep, that we are reaching out to supports that have been put into place, both within our campuses, but also within our country?” Padjen asked.

Padjen added students who are struggling should reach out to mental health resources like , a 24/7 helpline for post-secondary students in Ontario or Nova Scotia, or , a free online program that is designed to help youth manage a low mood, mild to moderate depression and anxiety, as well as stress or worry.

Even “within the social distancing realm,” Padjen said, “there is still the capability and the capacity for us to reach out and connect to each other.”

Nadine Yousif is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering mental health. Her reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Follow her on Twitter:

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‘Our lives are ruined’: Canada invited them as permanent residents — then COVID-19 slammed the door shut

Aug 23, 2021 , , , , by shlf

With permanent residence visas in hand, they sold their houses, quit their jobs and even shipped some of their belongings to their new homes in Canada.

Then hit, closing international borders and leaving them high and dry — without a home, job or path to restoring their stalled immigration dreams.

While the federal government is striving to restart an immigration system halted by the coronavirus pandemic and to make up for its 2020 shortfall, tens of thousands of would-be newcomers who have the visas to settle here permanently are being kept outside Canada. Some of their visas have now expired.

It’s a situation that has left many hurt, frustrated and worried for their future.

The teacher and the massage therapist

Belarussian Fatima Camara and her husband quit their jobs, sold their home and pulled their five kids out of school after they got their confirmation of permanent residence and visas stamped on their passports in late March.

They found a realtor and rented a place where they could quarantine for a month in Dieppe, N.B. They sent their bikes, shoes and clothes in aniticipation of the life-changing move from Minsk.

Today, they have no idea where those shipments went, because they weren’t there to pick them up.

“We stay in Belarus without a home, jobs and are absolutely hopeless,” said the French and English teacher and part-time massage therapist, whose family’s permanent residence visa is expiring in December.

“Our immigration plan and our lives are ruined.”

Since mid-March, Ottawa has imposed strict travel restrictions against foreign nationals, including holders of permanent resident visas who have yet to be admitted into the country. It had planned to welcome 340,000 newcomers this year, a target that’s expected to fall short by 40 per cent.

Currently, Canada only allows entry to those who have a permanent resident visa issued before March 18 to settle here permanently. A border officer will still ask questions about their reasons for coming now and ensure self-isolation rules are being respected.

Those with their visas stamped after that date, such as Camara, need to apply for an authorization to travel before they can board a flight, unless they are living in and coming from the United States.

Would-be immigrants with expired visas are asked not to contact the immigration department until they are ready to travel. Only in July, did officials introduce a webform for expired visa-holders to apply for an authorization letter and be assessed by a list of criteria, including whether they have compelling reason to travel to Canada now.

According to an immigration department spokesperson, 15,786 applicants who received their visas before March 19 have had their documents expire as of the end of October. About 2,700 principal applicants filled out the webform and more than 120 received authorization.

The accountant

Prashant Gupta of India received his visa in January and had booked a flight for March 18 before postponing the trip. Since then, he twice tried unsuccessfully to board a flight in May to get here before his visa expired in June, despite Ottawa’s policy to exempt those who got their visa before that date. (Both Canada-bound flights were repatriation flights, restricted to Canadian citizens and already landed permanent residents.)

After months of waiting, the chartered accountant from Kolkata was thrilled to get an authorization letter from the Canadian government on Nov. 6. But he was again refused boarding, this time because Air India would not recognize the expired visa, despite the authorization document.

“I was offloaded at the last moment and not allowed to enter the aircraft. I have asked the Canadian embassy for help, but have yet to receive a response. There was another girl who suffered the same fate,” noted Gupta, who had a job offer in Toronto for a position in financial acquisition that’s no longer valid since he couldn’t make it to Canada.

“This has really broken me. The economy is bad. I can’t go back to my previous job. I have no income. My life has just stopped and stalled.”

The nurse

Registered nurse Katie Hilton, who had previously worked in British Columbia for two years, said she and her husband, Rich, a broadcast journalist, invested three years of their life and more than $10,000 in the immigration process.

They went through and paid for the required English language test, medicals, police clearance, education credential assessement and her licensing registration before she, as the principal applicant, was selected by the Alberta government in 2019 through a provincial immigration stream based on her skills.

Hilton already has a job lined up as part of a new COVID-19 service for the Indigenous community just north of Cochrane, but she needs to arrive and complete her quarantine before the end of November.

“While I completely understand the borders being closed to the vast majority of people at the moment, I can’t understand why those in essential roles aren’t being fast-tracked, especially over the autumn and winter period, when we know there will be a surge in COVID cases,” said Hilton, who received her visa in late October.

She became even more frustrated this week when she was issued the authorization letter, but told her 10-year-old son, Benjamin, does not meet the exemption requirement.

“I’m honestly speechless at how ridiculous these rules are. What kind of government separates a mother and child?” asked Hilton.

“I’m now having to choose between either using the exemption letter but leaving my child in the U.K, having to rely on my elderly parents to help with child care and potentially exposing them to the virus for which I’d never forgive myself … or stay in the U.K. to be with my child and lose my job.”

The cyber security worker

Fadi Ghaoui, who quit his job in cyber security in Saudi Arabia and moved back to Lebanon in April for the move to Canada, said many would-be newcomers have had their lives put on hold and it has taken a heavy financial toll on them. After they quit their jobs, they must now dip into the settlement fund they’d set aside.

“I have used 30 per cent of my savings intended for our new life in Canada just to survive in Lebanon,” said Ghaoui, who received his family’s permanent resident visas on Jan. 7 and had booked their flight for May, two weeks before the visas expired on June 6. They couldn’t leave because his country was in lockdown.

At the end of June, he got an email from the Canadian visa post in London that his permanent residence application was under review to see if anything would need to be updated, such as a new medical clearance before another visa would be issued.

His family was among the survivors of the Aug. 4 explosion that levelled the Beirut port, killing more than 200 people and injuring 6,500. They were three kilometres away, witnessing the flattening of the site when it happened.

Despite the Canadian government’s special program to speed up immigration applications for blast victims in the area, the family has yet to hear an update to their application.

“I do not have a house anymore. I do not have a job anymore. There is no security in my country. The economic situation is bad. We feel so insecure. I fear for our future,” said Ghaoui, who, along with his wife and daughter, is staying with his parents.

“We are barely surviving here. We are stuck. Should we rent a house? Should we unpack all our bags again? Leave for the Gulf? Or just wait for Canada immigration’s response? Being in limbo is the worst.”

Nicholas Keung is a Toronto-based reporter covering immigration for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:

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‘The situation is very sad and painful.’ Relative of migrant worker who died of COVID-19 speaks of ‘overwhelming’ grief

Aug 4, 2021 , , , , by shlf

It wasn’t until he met his uncle at Mexico City’s bustling airport in April that Amador Alcantara realized they shared the same destination: a sprawling Norfolk County farm called .

Alcantara was happy. He’d spent almost 20 years travelling back and forth to Canada as a migrant worker. This year, he’d have family by his side.

But in the months that followed, 200 of Alcantara’s co-workers would test positive for . His uncle, , 55, would not survive the massive outbreak — one of the largest in the entire province.

In an interview with the Star, the first since his uncle died in June, Alcantara described Chaparro as a respectful and friendly man whose death has overwhelmed his family.

“We shared a lot of moments together while we were working,” said Alcantara. “The situation is very sad and painful.”

On Tuesday, Alcantara also testified about his experiences with Scotlynn’s outbreak before the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

It forms part of a reprisal complaint filed last month by , who was Alcantara’s bunkmate. The claim alleges Flores was fired and threatened with deportation by Scotlynn after raising concerns about safety issues at the farm.

Scotlynn has denied the allegations — and in a hearing last month, the farm’s founder Robert Biddle said he could not have fired Flores because he was sailing to a “small island” on the date in question.

In testimony Tuesday, Alcantara said he was present when Flores was terminated.

“The boss said (to Flores), “I don’t want anyone who is causing conflict on this farm, you have to go back to Mexico,’” said Alcantara.

The reprisal complaint brings into focus migrant workers’ ability to effectively assert their rights amidst a pandemic that has led to an estimated 1,300 farm labourers testing positive for COVID-19 in Ontario alone.

“This case is emblematic of the deep structural problems in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program and the system of temporary migration in Canada,” said Karen Cocq of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC).

Lack of permanent immigration status “effectively condemns” migrant workers to abuse because employers can send them back to their home countries for almost any reason, she added.

Separately on Tuesday, the provincial and federal governments jointly announced $26.6 million in funding for agricultural employers to improve health and safety on farms. Under the program, farmers can claim up to $15,000 for “preventative expenses” including workplace modifications, protective gear, and transportation. They can also apply for up to $100,000 to complete housing modifications and other larger investments in safety.

“Protecting the health and well-being of all farm workers who are helping ensure the food security for Canadians has been a top priority since the beginning of the pandemic,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture.

“This isn’t the kind of measure that responds fundamentally to the core problems built into the program,” said Cocq.

In his interview with the Star, Alcantara said his uncle was asked by the Mexican authorities to go to Scotlynn this year because high turnover at the farm was making it difficult to fulfil the required number of workers. The Star has previously on the history of complaints filed by migrant workers at Scotlynn, including long-standing reports of bedbug infestations, overcrowding, and unsafe working conditions.

Housing was amongst Alcantara’s concerns when he arrived in Canada in April, he told the labour board Tuesday.

“There wasn’t space to distance,” he said through a translator. “It was very close quarters.”

, who runs Scotlynn and is the son of founder Robert Biddle, has previously said he spent over $700,000 on quarantine measures and provides “climate-controlled” housing with lounge areas and soccer fields for leisure time.

After their mandatory two weeks quarantine in a hotel, Alcantara told the Star he and his uncle were placed in different apartments of the same housing complex. The bunkhouse was known colloquially as los quemados — the burned — after a small fire caused years ago by a worker who left a pot too long on the stove.

A few weeks into the season, Alcantara told the Star he noticed his uncle looking ill. Initially, Alcantara put it down to cold weather and lack of warm clothes. But soon, workers sharing an apartment with Chaparro said his condition had worsened.

On June 20, after several weeks battling the virus including hospitalization and intubation, Chaparro died. Scotlynn informed workers that night. Alcantara told the labour board he watched Flores tell supervisors they “should have done more for that man who died.”

“(The supervisor) said, ‘Who are you to say this to me? He’s not even one of your relatives. Why are you complaining?’” said Alcantara, who testified over Zoom from Mexico City in a maple leaf-emblazoned baseball cap.

The next day Flores was terminated, according to submissions made on his behalf by Parkdale Community Legal Services (PCLS). Flores subsequently took refuge in a safe house, the PCLS submissions said.

In closing arguments Tuesday, Scotlynn lawyer Paul Hosack said there was “simply no evidence” to support the claim’s allegations.

Hosack said Flores had spoken up about “something that happened in the past” and that the farm had reached out to Flores after he fled to tell him he could return to work.

“Our position is the claim should be dismissed,” said Hosack.

PCLS lawyer John No said the return-to-work offer was only made after Flores filed his complaint at the board. Noting that employers carry the burden of proof in reprisal cases, No said no evidence had been presented to provide an alternative explanation for Flores’s termination.

Flores is seeking $40,400 in lost future earnings and damages. He also hopes to see broader change to protect workers, he told the board Tuesday.

“I am just a farm worker tired of what is happening to us,” he said. “We have to leave our homes and families and cultures at home in Mexico to serve here in Canada and I think permanent residency is the least we are owed.”

With hearings concluded, labour board alternate chair Matthew Wilson will issue a written decision on the reprisal case in the coming months.

For Alcantara, who has now returned to Mexico, being back in the hometown he shared with his uncle is a source of comfort. But for Chaparro’s wife and four children, the grief is still paralyzing.

“It has taken a toll on them as a family,” Alcantara said. “But they feel there’s nothing they can do.”

Sara Mojtehedzadeh is a Toronto-based reporter covering work and wealth for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: