31 days of heartbreak at Roberta Place LTC in Barrie, Ont.

Outbreak at Roberta Place stabilizes The outbreak at Roberta Place LTC home stabilizes. Roger Klein reports.

Barrie, Ont. — Monday marks one month since a devastating outbreak of COVID-19 took hold at Roberta Place Long Term Care in Barrie.

Since an outbreak was declared Jan. 8, all 129 residents of the home have tested positive, and 69 of them have died. An infected essential caregiver has also passed away.

On Sunday, the operator of Roberta Place said 105 staff members had been sickened. Jarlette Health Services said there are no active resident cases and 14 active staff cases.

The rapid rise in cases in the early hours of the outbreak meant many symptomatic staff members had to stay home.

David Jarlette, President of Jarlette Health Services, has conceded that left Roberta Place too short-handed to separate infected and non-infected residents properly.

"The virus came into the home so quickly...we found ourselves not to have the staffing resources in order to cohort in a quick and timely fashion."

We now know the more contagious B.1.1.7 U.K. variant of COVID-19 was moving through the long-term care home.

At least one class-action lawsuit against Roberta Place's operators has been filed, alleging gross negligence at the long-term care home.

The claims have not been tested in court, and the operators say they intend to defend themselves.