Staff member at Ottawa-run long-term care home dies of COVID-19

PSW dies at Peter D. Clark Centre Second care worker in Ottawa dies from COVID-19. CTV's Stefan Keyes reports.

OTTAWA — A personal support worker at a City of Ottawa run long-term care home has died of COVID-19.

Mayor Jim Watson announced the death of the staff member at the Peter D. Clark long-term care home on Wednesday afternoon.

CTV News Ottawa has learned the personal support worker has been identified as Agary Akaekpuchionwa. Sources say he was a personal supporter worker for more than a decade.

“I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the worker who passed away,” the mayor said during a media briefing.

Watson says to honour the worker, the flags at the Peter D. Clark long-term care home will fly at half-mast until the day of the funeral.

In a memo to Council, Community and Social Services Department General Manager Donna Gray said the employee passed away Tuesday evening.

“We recognize that this news is very difficult given the current situation at long-term care homes here and across the country,” Gray wrote.

“Our management team is working with our support team in Human Resources and Organizational Health to coordinate supports for the employee’s family and the staff at Peter D. Clark."

On Monday, the City of Ottawa announced a second resident of the Peter D. Clark long-term care home had died due to COVID-19.  The city said there had been a total of 14 staff members and 19 residents that have tested positive for COVID-19 at the home.

This is the second health care worker to pass away after testing positive for COVID-19 in Ottawa.

A worker at Madonna Care Community passed away earlier this month.