Altamont Care Community is still struggling with an outbreak of COVID-19 which has claimed 25 lives, including eight over the past weekend.

Owners Sienna Senior Living and Toronto Public Health confirmed 24 residents had died after testing positive for coronavirus at the nursing home on Island Road, near Highway 401 and Sheppard Avenue East.

Christine Mandegarian, a personal support worker at the home for three decades, died April 15 from COVID-19.

“The Altamont team is doing truly extraordinary work to meet the needs of residents in the face of extreme challenges, while also grieving the loss of a colleague as well as residents,” the company said Monday.

On Saturday, a mobile team of Scarborough Health Network emergency-department nurses, the first sent by the hospital to any outside facility during the pandemic, completed the testing of all residents at Altamont for the novel coronavirus.

The team found one additional COVID-19 case, bringing the total number of living residents testing positive at the 159-bed home to 82.

Natalie Gokchenian, a spokesperson, said Sienna Living will begin testing all members of Altamont’s staff for the virus Friday, more than a week after Mandegarian’s death was announced.

Gokchenian said she couldn’t say how many staff at the home contracted the virus.

The company, on its website, said reports that staff at the home were given inadequate supplies of personal protective equipment since the COVID-19 outbreak began “are simply incorrect.”

“All the PPE being used is in accordance with the standards outlined in public health directives and protocols,” Sienna Senior Living added.

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People in the West Rouge neighbourhood have continued to stage numerous demonstrations of support for the nursing home’s residents and staff, including a parade of decorated cars on April 17 in which at least 30 families participated.

Volunteers delivered cupcakes made at a local bakery, Simply Frosted, as well as pizza to staff over a 24-hour period on April 17.

A local chef made and delivered soup and buns, and a community group called West Rouge Rockers has started painted rocks and placing them in gardens around Altamont.

More gestures of support are planned to boost morale at the home.