A registered nurse who worked at a London long-term care centre has died from COVID-19, the province announced in a statement Tuesday night.
Brian Beattie, a registered nurse who worked at Kensington Village, which is located at the east-side of London, has passed away, according to the facility management.
This is the first time a registered nurse in Ontario has died from COVID-19.
The Minister of Long-Term Care Merrilee Fullerton said in a statement, “Words cannot express my sincere appreciation for all our healthcare heroes working tirelessly every day to stop COVID-19, and to keep us all safe.”
Ontario Nurses Association president Vicki McKenna is also saddened hearing of the death, especially on National Nurses Week .
“This is Nursing Week, a time in which we traditionally celebrate the profession,” McKenna said in a statement. “Instead, we are mourning the loss of a caring and skilled registered nurse.”
Kensington Village was first declared to have an outbreak on April 3rd, and is one of the many long-term care centres in Ontario experiencing an outbreak. Since then, five residents have died at the long-term care centre, while eight staff members tested positive from the virus, however all but one recovered according to a statement by Kensington Village director of operations Leslie DuCharme.
In Ontario, more than 1,200 long-term care residents have died from COVID-19. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has promised to take a look and review the province’s long-term care system, but has refused to give the New Democrats’ request for a full inquiry.
