MARKHAM, Ontario, Dec. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sienna Senior Living Inc. (“Sienna” or the “Company”) (TSX: SIA) today provided the following update.

Vaccination of team members from three of Sienna’s long-term care residences

Team members at Sienna are among a select group of healthcare workers in Toronto participating in the initial launch of the first phase of the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out in Ontario. As part of the province’s pilot to test logistics, three Sienna long-term care communities have been allocated vaccines for 15 percent of team members at each residence. Cheltenham Care Community, Fountain View Care Community and Norfinch Care Community are participating.

Starting today, Sienna team members, spanning a range of care provider roles, are receiving their vaccination in Toronto at a University Health Network (UHN) site, followed by a second dose in 21 days.

“Sienna’s vaccine task force has been preparing for this moment, and we are very pleased to be among the first to participate in this historic immunization program,” says Nitin Jain, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sienna. “This is a major turning point in this pandemic, and we are well-positioned to support the ongoing roll-out of the vaccine in Ontario and British Columbia to ensure our residents and team members are immunized as quickly as possible.”

Prior to the second wave of the pandemic, Sienna took a number of critical steps to strengthen our response to the virus. This included launching our Six-Point Action Plan and monitoring our progress in securing a robust supply of personal protective equipment, strengthening infection prevention and control practices, putting in place staffing plans, and ensuring the Company’s frontline employees have the training and support they required. In addition to these critical efforts, the vaccine for COVID-19 will strengthen the Company’s ability to offer safe options for seniors living amidst the pandemic.

Sienna’s board of directors ranked among top 20 in Globe & Mail’s “2020 Board Games”

On November 30, 2020, the Globe and Mail published its 19^th annual ranking of Canada’s corporate boards. Sienna was ranked among the top 20 governed companies in the S&P/TSX Composite Index with a score of 92 out of 100. The rankings, which included 211 companies and trusts in the S&P/TSX Composite Index, are based on dozens of governance criteria and reflect the extent to which companies have adopted best practices in governance and company disclosures.

COVID-19 Update

As of December 14, 2020, 19 residences of Sienna’s 83 owned or managed residences are in outbreak with active cases of COVID-19, including 14 long-term care and 5 retirement residences.

Retirement Occupancy and Rent Collection

The Company’s November 2020 average same property occupancy level in the retirement portfolio (“Retirement”) was 81.3%, a decline from the prior months primarily due to renewed access restrictions at applicable residences amid the second wave of the pandemic.

About Sienna Senior Living
Sienna Senior Living Inc. (TSX: SIA) offers a full range of seniors' living options, including independent living, assisted living, long-term care, and specialized programs and services. Sienna's approximately 13,000 employees are passionate about helping residents live fully every day. For more information, please visit www.siennaliving.ca.

Risk Factors
Refer to the risk factors on “General Business Risks” and “COVID-19 and Other Outbreaks” disclosed in the Company’s Management Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended September 30, 2020, and other risk factors disclosed in its most recent annual Management Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form for more information.

Forward-Looking Information
Certain of the statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements and are provided for the purpose of presenting information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. These statements generally use forward-looking words, such as “anticipate,” “continue,” “could,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “believe,” “goals” or other similar words and include, without limitation, statements with respect to the impact of COVID-19 and measures taken to mitigate the impact, including the effectiveness of the vaccine. These statements are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements and, accordingly, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. The forward-looking statements in this news release are based on information currently available and what management currently believes are reasonable assumptions. The Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements except as may be required by applicable law.

For further information, please contact:

Karen Hon
Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President
(905) 489-0254
karen.hon@siennaliving.ca

Nancy Webb
Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Marketing 
(905) 489-0788
nancy.webb@siennaliving.ca