Public health officials – both provincial and City of Toronto – distinguished between two different COVID-19 disease processes, during their second modeling press conference on April 20th – the spread through community and the spread of the virus through congregate settings. They claimed, cautiously, that COVID-19 spread in the community has peaked but that spread is growing in congregate settings. The evidence of the virus’ devastating effect on long-term care and retirement homes has been laid out in these reports.

RNAO continues its strong advocacy on the need to expand the capacity of Ontario’s health system to meet emerging health needs in tackling COVID-19. RNAO was the first out the door addressing growing nursing human resource shortages, as many RNs, NPs and PSWs are being quarantined and/or falling sick, and staffing needs escalate together with the acuity of the pandemic.