LTC staff need better pay, support to ensure safety of residents: experts by Maleeha Sheikh and Jessica Bruno Posted Jan 5, 2021 6:35 pm EDT Last Updated Jan 5, 2021 at 11:38 pm EDT As more than one-third of Ontario’s long-term care homes are reporting outbreaks, healthcare experts say the lack of basic employment supports for staff, like paid sick days and a living wage, are contributing to the spread of COVID-19. “This is why we’ve seen such a huge challenge during this pandemic in Ontario, where so many of these workers … are bringing COVID-19 into the homes,” says Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics for Sinai Health System. “Frankly, a lot of folks don’t have a choice of taking a day off, but they really don’t have great sick benefits to begin with.”