A review panel will release its recommendations today on the COVID-19 outbreak at Northwood nursing home.
The virus killed 53 Northwood residents in the outbreak that began in April and was finally contained in late May.
On June 30, the Nova Scotia government appointed infectious disease consultant Dr. Chris Lata and former British Columbia associate deputy minister of health Dr. Lynn Stevenson to conduct a review of the outbreak.
The review was done under the Quality-improvement Information Protection Act, which means the province can publicly release only the recommendations that come out of the panel’s investigation, not details of the investigation itself.
As well, the recommendations will not be binding. The province has said it will do its best to implement the recommendations and use them to prepare for a possible second wave of COVID-19.
Opposition politicians, families of the residents who died and unions representing Northwood staff have called for a full public inquiry into the toll at the facility.
But Premier Stephen McNeil and Health Minister Randy Delorey said the review panel route would protect personal health information and ensure “whistleblower” type protection for people who provide information to the investigators.
Lata and Stevenson will present their recommendations at a news briefing at noon in Halifax.
Health and Wellness Minister Randy Delorey will respond at 12:45 p.m. “and provide an overview of the broader infection prevention and control review of the long-term care sector conducted by the department and partners,” the Health Department said in a news release.
