$50M class action lawsuit filed against Ont. long-term care provider over handling of COVID-19

Class action lawsuit filed against Revera From CTV Kitchener's Daryl Morris: A $50-million lawsuit was filed against long-term care provider Revera over its handling of COVID-19.

KITCHENER — A $50-million class action lawsuit has been filed against long-term care provider Revera, alleging the company did not have proper sanitation protocols or testing for people living in its facilities.

The lawsuit, filed by Diamond and Diamond Lawyers LLP on behalf of plaintiffs Peter Masucci and Tonino Ricci, claims that "measures to keep residents safe were not properly disseminated to residents and their families."

Both men had mothers who died from COVID-19 while living in a Revera-owned facility, a news release says.

"There are more victims out there," Masucci is quoted in the release. "They simply didn't do enough for their staff, or in testing rollout or isolation of infected individuals."

The class action is on behalf of people who have lived or live at a Revera retirement facility, as well as those people's families.

The lawsuit has not yet been certified, and the allegations have not been proven in court.

Senior Manager of Corporate Affairs Larry Roberts says the company will review the matter and respond appropriately when the time comes.

"Right now, we are focusing our efforts on caring for our residents and protecting our residents and employees from the pandemic," he says in a statement.

"We offer our most sincere condolences to the families and friends of the people we have lost to COVID-19."

In Waterloo Region, Forest Heights Revera LTC is the long-term care home that has been hardest-hit by the virus.

As of Thursday morning, the region reported that 146 residents and 51 staff members had been infected.

More than half of the region's 68 deaths have been residents of that facility, where 35 people have died.

Back on April 20, Region of Waterloo Public Health and the Forest Heights Revera team announced that they had agreed to begin moving some of the residents there out of the home and into hospitals around the region.

At that time, the long-term care facility had reported 12 deaths from the virus.

As many as 40 people were set to move, as long as they were medically sound to do so and they and their families approved.