Nearly 100 Ontario LTC homes haven’t installed air conditioning in all rooms

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Nearly 100 long-term care homes in Ontario missed this week’s deadline to install air conditioning in all resident rooms.

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A spokesperson for the ministry of long-term care says 529 of the province’s 627 long-term care homes were fully air-conditioned as of Wednesday.

That leaves 98 homes without air conditioning in every resident’s room.

The ministry says some homes have experienced delays in installing units in all rooms for a variety of reasons, including global supply chain issues, COVID-19 outbreaks and visitor restrictions preventing contractors from entering homes.

It also says electrical upgrades or changes to building structures are required in some cases.

Legislation passed last year required homes to install air conditioning in all resident rooms at long-term care homes by Wednesday.