Ontario Nurses Association asks court to force London nursing home to provide masks

The Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) is in court today alleging that at least four long-term care homes in Ontario including Henley Place in London have failed to give nurses proper access to personal protective equipment.

ONA is asking an Ontario Superior Court judge to order the homes to comply with provincial infection control and health standards.

The union argues in its application that Henley Place in Londonoperated by Primacare Living Solutions Inc. has broken the rules by failing to provide PPE to nurses "who fear for their health and safety when arriving at work each day."

Two residents of the London facility have died since an outbreak of COVID 19 was first reported on March 28. Henley Place reported a total of 10 positive cases on April 11. It would not say if any of the people infected arestaff members.

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In the court filing, DianePeckham, a labour relations officer with ONA, said since the end of March, she has repeatedly asked management at Henley Place to provideN95 masks to all nurses at the home caring for suspected cases of COVID-19.

Peckham said she was told by management that there was an adequate supply of masks at the home but that they had been removed from a storage room and relocated to the administrator's office, which is inaccessible during the night shift.

Peckham said she has heard from a number of nurses at the home who have said "they are terrified that they will become infected with the virus, become extremely ill, and possibly die."

She said residents are also at risk of harm, "yet the employer continues to resist providing appropriate access to N95 respirators for staff caring for known or suspected cases of COVID-19."

The three other homes named by the ONA in its court filing are Anson Place care Centre in Hagersville, Eatonville Care Centre in Etobicoke, and Hawthorne Place Care Centre in North York.

About 60 residents have died in total in the three facilities.

Speaking to CBC News over the weekend, ONA president Vicki McKenna described the situation as an "urgent emergency."

The court hearing in Toronto is expected to conclude late Wednesday.

It's not known if a decision will be rendered today.