By late May, 2020, in Ontario COVID-19 cases among long-term care (LTC) residents constituted 5,157 of the province’s 28,499 cases. In British Columbia, there were 339 cases among LTC residents compared to a provincial total of 2,562 cases. While the LTC sectors in these two provinces have some differences, this article reviews their pre-pandemic LTC staffing policies and compares their staffing-related COVID-19 prevention measures in 2020. Ontario’s policies before 2020 corresponded with lower staff-to-patient ratios than B.C.’s, which may have constrained Ontario’s pandemic responses. Implementation of standards or guidelines, and changes to funding could help achieve LTC sector staffing resiliency.
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