A Pickering long-term-care home that is one of Ontario’s hardest hit by COVID-19 is investigating the possibility of a privacy breach with the release of resident personal health information, according to a government minister. Orchard Villa has notified the Information and Privacy Commissioner Office and an internal investigation has been conducted into the “possibility of a privacy breach of personal health information,” Jason Gay, the home’s executive director, wrote in an email. According to Durham Region Public Health’s virus tracker Sunday, 66 residents of Orchard Villa long-term care and retirement home have died of COVID-19 since an outbreak was declared at the 233-bed facility in March. Contacted by the Star, personal-injury lawyer Gary Will said a privacy breach is “indicative of some serious problems at Orchard Villa.” His law firm is investigating the facility while deciding whether to launch a class-action lawsuit against the owners. He notes Orchard Villa has a history of pre-COVID infractions.

Source: thestar May 10, 2020 21:00 UTC