Dear Executive Directors and Administrative Leads,
Yesterday the Chief Medical Officer of Health issued a statement that on June 11, 2022, the remaining Directives of the province’s masking requirements, including on public transit and most health care facilities will expire as of 12:00 a.m. on June 11, 2022. Masks will still be required in long-term care and retirement homes and is recommended in higher risk congregate living settings, such as shelters and group homes.
While masking has been lifted in hospitals and primary care settings, the option to continue to mandate masking of both staff and patients can be left at the discretion of the organization. AFHTO has been working with our health care colleagues around some options for implementation within your teams which we are sharing below.
Mask Mandates
As noted above, deciding on whether to enforce masking in your clinical setting is at the discretion of the organization and can include different requirements for your staff and for patients coming in for care. We have asked the OMA and our own legal counsel for guidance that you can use at your discretion.
For employees:
Employers can continue to require mandatory masking of staff unless an individual has a reason for exemption aligned with the Human Rights Code or AODA. Employers can rely on the requirement under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to Take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of the worker as a basis for the masking requirement.
However, employers can also rely on the dropping of the legislated requirement to wear masks as a basis for no longer requiring masks. Employers can also have a hybrid provision where employees are required to wear masks in certain situations:
a. When in close (less than 6 feet) contact with others
b. When in the same area as patients
Weighing the risks and benefits will be critical before deciding on the approach you would want to take in your clinical setting. Though not mandatory it is strongly recommended that all health care facilities keep masking in place to minimize risk of infection (this has been adopted by most hospitals in the province as well).
For patients:
Organizations can make masking a rule for patients but cannot deny care if the patient is not wearing a mask or refuses to put one on. The expectation through the CPSO is that physicians (or in this case, all health care providers) provide the standard of care, regardless of whether the patient is masked, which is aligned with their position previously. CPSO should be posting updated language on their FAQ page next week to address their ongoing position on this.
If a patient refuses to wear a mask or does not have one, there are options:
a. Go ahead with the appointment and offer a mask for free (but still provide care if patient refuses the mask);
b. Reschedule to a virtual appointment (if applicable); or
c. Reschedule to a day or time of day, when there are fewer people around (like clinics were advised to do with unvaccinated patients).
When booking an appointment, the patient can be advised of the masking requirement and note in advance if they have any issues with it. And if the patient does have an issue, then the organization can determine which option above to implement.
The OMA has developed some tools that you may find helpful, especially if you want to develop an internal policy around masking:
- Masking policy – in the form of policy template that covers vaccination and/or universal masking. (You will need a physician to enter the OMA gated site to provide you with the editable Word Document: https://www.oma.org/uploadedfiles/oma/media/member/membermappedpdfs/practice-professional-support/patient-care/oma-vaccination-masking-policy-for-medical-practice-template.docx)
- Posters for the office – currently available in English, as they are working on a French version soon.
Active and Passive Screening
Like masking, organizations can determine how best to address COVID symptom screening for staff but should follow IPAC recommendations, which speaks to active screening for patients even during this ‘low risk period’. Staff should be aware of their own symptoms and should report symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or other transmissible infections to their manager/supervisor. You can direct staff to the Ministry’s COVID-19 self-assessment tool if they’re not sure if their symptoms are consistent with COVID.
Tools and Resources you may find helpful:
- Public Health Ontario’s Interim Infection Prevention and Control Measures based on COVID-19 Transmission Risks in Health Care Settings (April 2022) – a FAQ to this brief is being developed and should be available shortly
- Ontario College of Family Physicians’ IPAC Guidance for Community Practices During COVID-19 (April 2022) – will be updated shortly to reflect new masking recommendations
- Ontario College of Family Physicians’ Screening Patients for COVID-19 (April 2022) – will be updated shortly to reflect clearer language
Other Information:
- The Ministry’s COVID-19 daily Situation Reports will no longer be distributed after June 10, 2022 – to get reports on COVID-19 data please refer to the Ministry of Health website and through Public Health Ontario’s COVID-19 data tool.
- Thank you to everyone that filled out the survey for us to better understand the current state of vaccination and to start the planning process for the under 5 age group. If you have not yet done so please take a moment and fill in this very quick vaccine survey so we can ensure we set up the sector is supported in this next phase of vaccination: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/May2022VaccineSurvey. We have a meeting with the Ministry next week and would like to share the results from our member teams. Survey will remain open until end of day Friday, June 10th.
- Reminder that Maria McDonald, McDonald HR Law, will be presenting on Bills 27 & 88 (Working for Workers Acts) on Thursday, June 16, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will highlight what employers need to know in order to comply with these two new Acts. Please click here to register and share your questions in advance so that Maria can address them in her webinar. Please submit your questions no later than June 10th.
As we start heading into the summer months, we want to thank you for all you are doing to keep your patients and the community safe. If you need any assistance or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time. Stay safe.
Yours in good health,
The AFHTO Team
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