Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Hello, colleagues.
Before I begin with my line of questioning, I just want to say that it's a real privilege for me to hear from the witnesses today and for all of us to hear from the witnesses today. In my riding of Cape Breton—Canso, we have a large seniors population, and I keep them in mind every day. Throughout this pandemic, I've seen just how much citizens throughout the riding have come together to support seniors in our communities during these challenging times. I want to thank each of you for the work that you're doing in this regard.
My question is for Dr. Armstrong, and this has been referenced. You wrote a report that identified staffing issues, shortages of staffing and low wages for health care workers in long-term care facilities as having contributed to the spread of COVID-19. We know that the spread of the illness, including the common flu, has been noticed very quickly throughout long-term care homes even before COVID-19.
In your research, what solutions have you concluded can address these staffing issues and can prevent the spread of communicable diseases?
Also—I think you've alluded to this—can you talk a little about the best practices that you have been able to identify that long-term health care facility administrators should be aware of?