Concern is growing now that COVID-19 has been identified in the long-term care system.

Government yesterday revealed that a positive case has been identified in a long-term care home in St. Lawrence.

Senior’s Advocate, Dr. Suzanne Brake says while she supports the decision to ban visitors from long-term care facilities, she admits, it presents challenges not only for the residents but their families as well.

She says residents of long-term care facilities are there because they are frail, or live with dementia and need support. That makes understanding why their family is suddenly no longer coming to visit very difficult.

The only way an illness can get into a long-term care facility now is through staff. That means casual staff also have to be barred.

She is not entirely clear as to whether or not casual staff, who may move from one facility to another has entirely stopped.