Tag: Public health
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January 8th Update on COVID-19 Vaccination Roll Out
Dear Members,
As you are aware, the COVID-19 response is changing rapidly.
As mentioned earlier this week, the Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Action Council* is very active in provincial advocacy efforts. We are meeting regularly with many partners including the Ontario Hospital Association, Public Health, Ontario Medical Association, Ministry of Health staff and Vaccine Task Force representatives.
Thank you very much for your quick response to our survey from Monday. As of yesterday, 2000+ primary care professionals across the province responded to indicate interest and availability to support rapid vaccination in long term care and retirement homes, should we be called on in the weeks or months ahead.
We also had 20 Indigenous Primary Health Care Council members and associates respond with their readiness to participate with vaccination supports. We are working closely with Public Health Units across the province who will have access to this data and supporting PHUs to partner with their local primary care leaders.There is a lot of confusion and concern in primary care about a variety of things including the lack of information, who is making decisions about primary care’s role in vaccination, when primary care will get vaccinated and who is leading the efforts.
The following information is what we know so far, but keep in mind that the plan continues to evolve:
- Public Health will be taking the lead role in local vaccination distribution. They have acknowledged that their leadership in vaccination needs to happen in partnership with others including primary care. The 34 Public Health Units are identifying primary care vaccination leads in each of their regions. We are sharing our vaccinator volunteer list with each local PHU to facilitate connections.
- Decisions about vaccine distribution are ultimately made by the Ministry of Health. As you know, the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force, led by retired General Rick Hillier, is making recommendations to the Ministry and Premier. There are several other tables that also provide input, but ultimately, the decisions are made by the Minister of Health.
- An approach to prioritizing Health Care Workers for vaccination has been developed and it is anticipated that guidance documents will be available on Friday or Monday. Health Care Workers and staff, depending on the setting, the population served, and their risk factors will be vaccinated in Phase 1 (now until March) or in Phase 2 (after March). Vaccine supply will dictate how quickly each group can be offered the vaccine. We are hearing that there has been an inconsistent approach by hospitals regarding vaccination of hospital staff and community clinicians. We have raised this as a concern, and once the guidance documents are released this issue should be resolved.
- It is anticipated that Primary Care will not have access to vaccines until after Phase 1. With the exception of those participating in outreach teams for high-risk individuals in congregate settings, the main role of primary care for now is to communicate with patients about the vaccine. Numerous webinars and practice tools are planned to support you.
- The database being used for vaccination documentation is called COVAX. Plans are starting to get all Primary Care Physicians, Nurse Practitioners and Pharmacists registered and trained on how to use the database. Health cards are not required to enter patient information into the database and the Ministry has indicated additional fields are continuing to be added, including those that address SDOH.
- Hospitals, Public Health, and the Ministry are working, together with the Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Action Council, to develop protocols for rapidly getting the vaccine into ALL long-term care and retirement homes.
- There has been a commitment made for Federal and Provincial bodies to work together on vaccination efforts for Indigenous, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities to reduce the amount of confusion and mixed messages. A separate sub-table was created by Indigenous Affairs Ontario for this purpose and the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council participates on the table.
- There has been some confusion about who can administer the vaccine. It has been confirmed that all primary care clinicians, including Physicians, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners and Pharmacists will be providing vaccinations. It was also confirmed that only regulated health providers will be administering the vaccine unless they are already able to vaccinate as per their scope of practice (e.g., EMS, PAs).
- Updated clinical guidance for special populations was released this morning. In short, benefits of the vaccine are felt to outweigh risks for most people that are pregnant, or that have auto-immune conditions or compromised immune systems.
This week we are seeking the following:
- Role clarity between hospitals, public health, and primary care, with emphasis on primary care partnership in PHU vaccine plan.
- Weekly communication that is clear, transparent, and consistent to health organizations with specifics around forthcoming vaccine supply and distribution at provincial and regional levels.
- A standardized approach, while taking into account local rollout, PHUs need transparent and consistent approaches across the province using a health equity framework.
Resources:
- Tuesday, January 12 at 12:00pm: The College of Family Physicians of Canada is hosting a COVID vaccines update for primary care. Panelists include Drs. Caroline Quach-Thanh (NACI Chair), Gerald Evans (ID physician at Queens University) and Mike Kolber (family physician in Alberta who is part of the PEER/Tools for Practice team). Space is unlimited as it will be hosted on YouTube. Join here.
- COVID-19 Vaccine-Relevant Information and Planning Resources posted on the Ministry of Health website (includes updated vaccine, immunization, and health care provider education documents)
- The Centre for Effective Practice (CEP) website has a section on vaccines that is continuously updated.
- 19 to Zero contains resources for healthcare workers.
- The following are links to letters that you can revise and send to patients to proactively address vaccine hesitancy:
- Answering Patient Questions about COVID-19 Vaccines, Ontario College of Family Physicians.
- Communication to community members and families, Ontario Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Action Council.
The primary care associations are committed to communicating with you on a weekly basis to keep you informed. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know.
Yours in good health,
The AFHTO Team
*Ontario Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Action Council:
- Alliance for Healthier Communities
- Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
- Indigenous Primary Health Care Council
- Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association/Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario
- Ontario College of Family Physicians
- Ontario Medical Association Section on General and Family Practice
- Ontario’s Academic Chairs of Family Medicine
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COVID-19 Situation Reports 2020
Here is a complete list of COVID-19 situation reports received in 2020. We have noted a glitch from #202 to #333 (now #303) and are working to update them. If you would like to receive an affected report, please email info@afhto.ca.
- Situation Report #336 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #336 _ COVID-19 – weekly memo and update from vaccine distribution task force– Dec. 31, 2020
- Situation Report #335 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #335 _ COVID-19– Dec. 30, 2020
- Situation Report #334 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #334 _ COVID-19– Dec. 29, 2020
- Situation Report #333 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #333 _ COVID-19– includes weekly memo and update from vaccine distribution task force- Dec. 24, 2020
- Situation Report #332 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #332 _ COVID-19– Dec. 23, 2020
- Situation Report #331 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #331 _ COVID-19– Dec. 22, 2020
- Situation Report #330 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #330 _ COVID-19– Dec. 21, 2020
- Situation Report #329 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #329 _ COVID-19– Dec. 20, 2020
- Situation Report #328 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #328 _ COVID-19– Dec. 19, 2020
- Situation Report #327 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #327 _ COVID-19– Dec. 18, 2020
- Situation Report #326 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #326 _ COVID-19– Dec. 17, 2020
- Situation Report #325 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #325 _ COVID-19 – Dec. 16, 2020
- Situation Report #324 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #324 _ COVID-19– Dec. 15, 2020
- Situation Report #323 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #323 _ COVID-19– The Ministry has developed a number of educational documents on the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. These include the following documents: About Vaccines, Vaccine Administration, Vaccine Availability and Rollout, Approval Process and Safety, Vaccine Information Sheet and Managing Health Care Workers with Symptoms within 48 Hours of Receiving the Vaccine. Documents are attached and will be uploaded to the website shortly- Dec. 14, 2020
- Situation Report #322 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #322 _ COVID-19– Dec. 13, 2020
- Situation Report #321 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #321 _ COVID-19– Dec. 12, 2020
- Situation Report #320 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #320 _ COVID-19– Dec. 11, 2020
- Situation Report #319 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #319 _ COVID-19– Dec. 10, 2020
- Situation Report #318 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #318 _ COVID-19– Dec. 9, 2020
- Situation Report #317 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #317 _ COVID-19– Dec. 8, 2020
- Situation Report #316 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #316 _ COVID-19– Ontario Identifies Key Groups for Distribution of Initial COVID-19 Vaccines– Dec. 7, 2020
- Situation Report #315 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #315 _ COVID-19– Dec. 6, 2020
- Situation Report #314 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #314 _ COVID-19– Dec. 5, 2020
- Situation Report #313 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #313 _ COVID-19– Dec. 4, 2020
- Situation Report #312 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #312 _ COVID-19– Dec. 3, 2020
- Situation Report #311 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #311 _ COVID-19– Dec. 2, 2020
- Situation Report #310 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #310 _ COVID-19– Dec. 1, 2020
- Situation Report #309 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #309 _ COVID-19– Nov. 30, 2020
- Situation Report #308 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #308 _ COVID-19– Nov. 29, 2020
- Situation Report #307 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #307 _ COVID-19– Nov. 28, 2020
- Situation Report #306 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #306 _ COVID-19– Nov. 27, 2020
- Situation Report #305 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #305 _ COVID-19– Nov. 26, 2020
- Situation Report #304 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #304 _ COVID-19– Nov. 25, 2020
- Situation Report #303 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #303 _ COVID-19– Nov. 24, 2020
- Situation Report #302 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #302 _ COVID-19– Nov. 23, 2020
- Situation Report #301 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #301 _ COVID-19– Nov. 22, 2020
- Situation Report #300 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #300 _ COVID-19– Nov. 21, 2020
- Situation Report #299 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #299 _ COVID-19– A number of COVID-19 testing-related guidance documents have been posted to the Ministry’s website– Nov. 20, 2020
- Situation Report #298 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #298 _ COVID-19– Nov. 19, 2020
- Situation Report #297 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #297 _ COVID-19– Nov. 18, 2020
- Situation Report #296 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #296 _ COVID-19– Nov. 17, 2020
- Situation Report #295 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #295 _ COVID-19– Nov. 16, 2020
- Situation Report #294 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #294 _ COVID-19– Nov. 15, 2020
- Situation Report #293 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #293 _ COVID-19– Ontario Updating COVID-19 Response Framework to Help Stop the Spread of COVID-19. In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the Public Health Measures Table, the Ontario government is taking immediate action to respond to the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases and is updating the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework, by lowering the thresholds for each level in the framework. Nov. 13, 2020
- Situation Report #292 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #292 _ COVID-19– Nov. 12, 2020
- Situation Report #291 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #291 _ COVID-19– Nov.11, 2020
- Situation Report #290 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #290 _ COVID-19– The Primary Care Providers in a Community Setting guidance has been updated and is available on the Ministry’s website.- Nov. 10, 2020
- Situation Report #289 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #289 _ COVID-19 – Nov 9, 2020
- Situation Report #286: COVID-19 / Rapport sur la situation no 286: COVID-19 – Nov 6, 2020
- Situation Report #285: COVID-19 / Rapport sur la situation no 285: COVID-19 – Nov 5, 2020
- Situation Report #284: COVID-19 / Rapport sur la situation no 284: COVID-19 – Nov 4, 2020
- Situation Report #283 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #283 _ COVID-19– Nov. 3, 2020
- Situation Report #282 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #282 _ COVID-19– Nov. 2, 2020
- Situation Report #281 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #281 _ COVID-19– Nov. 1, 2020
- Situation Report #280 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #280 _ COVID-19– Oct. 31, 2020
- Situation Report #279 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #279 _ COVID-19– Oct. 30, 2020
- Situation Report #278 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #278 _ COVID-19– Oct. 29, 2020
- Situation Report #277 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #277 _ COVID-19– Oct. 28, 2020
- Situation Report #276 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #276 _ COVID-19– Oct. 27, 2020
- Situation Report #275 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #275 _ COVID-19– Oct. 26, 2020
- Situation Report #274 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #274 _ COVID-19– Oct. 25, 2020
- Situation Report #273 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #273 _ COVID-19– Oct. 24, 2020
- Situation Report #272 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #272 _ COVID-19– Oct. 23, 2020
- Situation Report #271 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #271 _ COVID-19– Oct. 22, 2020
- Situation Report #270 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #270 _ COVID-19– Oct. 21, 2020
- Situation Report #269 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #269 _ COVID-19– Oct. 20, 2020
- Situation Report #268 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #268 _ COVID-19– Oct. 19, 2020
- Situation Report #267 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #267 _ COVID-19– Oct. 18, 2020
- Situation Report #266 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #266 _ COVID-19– Oct. 17, 2020
- Situation Report #265 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #265 _ COVID-19– Oct. 16, 2020
- Situation Report #264 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #264 _ COVID-19– Oct. 15, 2020
- Situation Report #263 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #263 _ COVID-19 – Oct. 14, 2020
- Situation Report #262 _ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #262 _ COVID-19– Oct. 13, 2020
- Situation Report #261_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #261_ COVID-19– Oct. 12, 2020
- Situation Report #260_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #260_ COVID-19– Oct. 11, 2020
- Situation Report #259_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #259_ COVID-19– Oct. 10, 2020
- Situation Report #258_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #258_ COVID-19– Oct. 9, 2020
- Situation Report #257_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #257_ COVID-19– The Pan-Canadian COVID-19 Testing and Screening Guidance: Technical guidance and implementation plan is available on the Government of Canada website.-Oct. 8, 2020
- Situation Report #256_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #256_ COVID-19– Oct. 7, 2020
- Situation Report #255_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #255_ COVID-19– Oct. 6, 2020
- Situation Report #254_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #254_ COVID-19– Oct. 5, 2020
- Situation Report #253_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #253_ COVID-19– Oct. 4, 2020
- Situation Report #252_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #252_ COVID-19– Oct. 3, 2020
- Situation Report #251_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #251_ COVID-19– Oct. 2, 2020
- Situation Report #250_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #250_ COVID-19– The Quick Reference Public Health Guidance for Testing and Clearance has been updated and is available on the Ministry’s website.Oct. 1, 2020
- Situation Report #249_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #249_ COVID-19– Sep. 30, 2020
- Situation Report #248_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #248_ COVID-19– Sep. 29, 2020
- Situation Report #247_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #247_ COVID-19– Sep. 28, 2020
- Situation Report #246_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #246_ COVID-19– Sep. 27, 2020
- Situation Report #245_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #245_ COVID-19– The Ontario government has amended order O. Reg 364/20: Rules for Areas in Stage 3 under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020, to tighten public health measures in response to the recent rise in cases of COVID-19- Sep. 26, 2020
- Situation Report #244_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #243_ COVID-19– Sep. 25, 2020
- Situation Report #243_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #243_ COVID-19– The COVID-19 Provincial Testing Guidance has been updated and is available on the Ministry’s website- Sep. 24, 2020
- Situation Report #242_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #242_ COVID-19– Sep. 23, 2020
- Situation Report #241_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #241_ COVID-19– Sep. 22, 2020
- Situation Report #240_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #240_ COVID-19– The COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms has been updated and is available on the ministry’s website.-Sep. 21, 2020
- Situation Report #239_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #239_ COVID-19– Sep. 20, 2020
- Situation Report #238_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #238_ COVID-19– Sep. 19, 2020
- Situation Report #237_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #237_ COVID-19– Sep. 18, 2020
- Situation Report #236_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #236_ COVID-19– Sep. 17, 2020
- Situation Report #235_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #235_ COVID-19– Sep. 16, 2020
- Situation Report #234_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #234_ COVID-19– Sep. 15, 2020
- Situation Report #233_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #233_ COVID-19– Sep. 14, 2020
- Situation Report #232_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #232_ COVID-19 – Sep. 13, 2020
- Situation Report #231_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #231_ COVID-19 – Sep. 12, 2020
- Situation Report #230_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #230_ COVID-19– Sep. 11, 2020
- Situation Report #229_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #229_ COVID-19– Sep. 10, 2020
- Situation Report #228_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #228_ COVID-19– Sep. 9, 2020
- Situation Report #227_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #227_ COVID-19– Sep. 8, 2020
- Situation Report #226_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #226_ COVID-19 – Sep. 7, 2020
- Situation Report #225_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #225_ COVID-19– Sep. 6, 2020
- Situation Report #224_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #224_ COVID-19– Sep. 5, 2020
- Situation Report #223_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #223_ COVID-19-Guidance for Primary Care Providers in a Community Setting has been updated and posted on the ministry’s website. – Sep. 4, 2020
- Situation Report #222_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #222_ COVID-19– Sep. 3, 2020
- Situation Report #221_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #221_ COVID-19– Sep. 2, 2020
- Situation Report #220_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #220_ COVID-19– Sep. 1, 2020
- Situation Report #219_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #219_ COVID-19– Aug. 31, 2020
- Situation Report #218_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #218_ COVID-19– Aug. 30, 2020
- Situation Report #217_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #217_ COVID-19– Aug. 29, 2020
- Situation Report #216_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #216_ COVID-19– Aug. 28, 2020
- Situation Report #215_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #215_ COVID-19– Aug. 27, 2020
- Situation Report #214_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #214_ COVID-19– Aug. 26, 2020
- Situation Report #213_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #213_ COVID-19– Aug. 25, 2020
- Situation Report #212_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #212_ COVID-19– Aug. 24, 2020
- Situation Report #211_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #211_ COVID-19– Aug. 23, 2020
- Situation Report #210_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #210_ COVID-19– Aug. 22, 2020
- Situation Report #209_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #209_ COVID-19– Aug. 21, 2020
- Situation Report #208_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #208_ COVID-19– Aug. 20, 2020
- Situation Report #207_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #207_ COVID-19– Aug. 19, 2020
- Situation Report #206_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #206_ COVID-19– Aug. 18, 2020
- Situation Report #205_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #205_ COVID-19– Aug. 17, 2020
- Situation Report #204_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #204_ COVID-19– Aug. 16, 2020
- Situation Report #203_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #203_ COVID-19– Aug. 15, 2020
- Situation Report #202_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #202_ COVID-19– includes update to the COVID-19 Provincial Testing Guidance-English and French Aug. 14, 2020
- Situation Report #201_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #201_ COVID-19– Aug. 13, 2020
- Situation Report #200_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #200_ COVID-19– Aug. 12, 2020
- Situation Report #199_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #199_ COVID-19– Aug. 11, 2020
- Situation Report #198_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #198_ COVID-19– Aug. 10, 2020
- Situation Report #197_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #197_ COVID-19– Aug. 9, 2020- Several documents have been updated and shared to the Ministry’s website including:
- COVID-19 Case Definition with new information on cases confirmed through serology testing
- COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms with an updated section on MIS-C in children
- COVID-19 Provincial Testing Guidance with new information on serology testing, and updated guidance on asymptomatic individuals and targeted asymptomatic testing campaigns
- Situation Report #196_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #196_ COVID-19– Aug. 8, 2020
- Situation Report #195_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #195_ COVID-19– Aug. 7, 2020
- Situation Report #194_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #194_ COVID-19– Aug. 6, 2020
- Situation Report #193_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #193_ COVID-19– Aug. 5, 2020
- Situation Report #192_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #192_ COVID-19– Aug. 4, 2020
- Situation Report #191_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #191_ COVID-19– Aug. 3, 2020
- Situation Report #190_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #190_ COVID-19– Aug. 2, 2020
- Situation Report #189_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #188_ COVID-19– Aug. 1, 2020
- Situation Report #188_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #188_ COVID-19 – Jul. 31, 2020
- Situation Report #187_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #187_ COVID-19– An updated version of the Quick Reference Public Health Guidance on Testing and Clearance (v.9.0) is now available on the Ministry’s website. Jul. 30, 2020
- Situation Report #186_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #186_ COVID-19– Jul. 29, 2020
- Situation Report #185_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #185_ COVID-19– Jul. 28, 2020
- Situation Report #184_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #184_ COVID-19– Jul. 27, 2020
- Situation Report #183_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #183_ COVID-19– Jul. 26, 2020
- Situation Report #182_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #182_ COVID-19– Jul. 25, 2020
- Situation Report #181_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #181_ COVID-19– Jul. 24, 2020
- Situation Report #180_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #180_ COVID-19– Jul. 23, 2020
- Situation Report #179_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #179_ COVID-19– Jul. 22, 2020
- Situation Report #178_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #178_ COVID-19– Jul. 21, 2020
- Situation Report #177_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #177_ COVID-19– Jul. 20, 2020
- Situation Report #176_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #176_ COVID-19– Jul. 19, 2020
- Situation Report #175_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #175_ COVID-19– Jul. 18, 2020
- Situation Report #174_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #174_ COVID-19– Jul. 17, 2020
- Situation Report #173_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #173_ COVID-19– Jul. 16, 2020
- Situation Report #172_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #172_ COVID-19– Jul. 15, 2020
- Situation Report #171_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #171_ COVID-19– Jul. 14, 2020
- Situation Report #170_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #170_ COVID-19 – Jul. 13, 2020
- Situation Report #169_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #169_ COVID-19– Jul. 12, 2020
- Situation Report #168_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #168_ COVID-19– Jul. 11, 2020
- Situation Report #167_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #167_ COVID-19– Jul. 10, 2020
- Situation Report #166_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #166_ COVID-19– Jul. 9, 2020
- Situation Report #165_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #165_ COVID-19– Jul. 8, 2020
- Situation Report #164_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #164_ COVID-19– Jul. 7, 2020
- Situation Report #163_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #163_ COVID-19 – Jul. 6, 2020
- Situation Report #162_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #162_ COVID-19– Jul.5, 2020
- Situation Report #161_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #161_ COVID-19– Jul. 4, 2020
- Situation Report #160_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #160_ COVID-19– Jul. 3, 2020
- Situation Report #159_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #159_ COVID-19– July 2, 2020
- Situation Report #158_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #158_ COVID-19– July 1, 2020
- Situation Report #157_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #157_ COVID-19– June 30, 2020
- Situation Report #156_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #156_ COVID-19 – June 29, 2020
- Situation Report #155_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #155_ COVID-19– June 28, 2020
- Situation Report #154_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #154_ COVID-19– June 27, 2020
- Situation Report #153_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #153_ COVID-19– June 26, 2020
- Situation Report #152_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #152_ COVID-19– June 25, 2020
- Situation Report #151_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #151_ COVID-19– June 24, 2020
- Situation Report #150_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #150_ COVID-19– June 23, 2020
- Situation Report #149_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #149_ COVID-19– June 22, 2020
- Situation Report #148_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #148_ COVID-19– June 21, 2020
- Situation Report #147_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #147_ COVID-19– June 20, 2020
- Situation Report #146_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #146_ COVID-19– June 19, 2020
- Situation Report #145_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #145_ COVID-19– June 18, 2020
- Situation Report #144_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #144_ COVID-19– June 17, 2020
- Situation Report #143_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #143_ COVID-19– June 16, 2020
- Situation Report #142_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #142_ COVID-19– June 15, 2020
- Situation Report #141_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #141_ COVID-19– June 14, 2020
- Situation Report #140_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #140_ COVID-19– June 13, 2020
- Situation Report #139_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #139_ COVID-19– June 12, 2020
- Situation Report #138_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #138_ COVID-19– June 11, 2020
- Situation Report #137_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #137_ COVID-19– June 10, 2020
- Situation Report #136_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #136_ COVID-19– June 9, 2020
- Situation Report #135_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #135_ COVID-19-moving forward with a regional approach to Stage 2 of reopening the province; much more detailed breakdown of Ontario cases, testing, etc.included-June 8, 2020
- Situation Report #134_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #134_ COVID-19– June 7, 2020
- Situation Report #133_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #133_ COVID-19– June 6, 2020
- Situation Report #132_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #132_ COVID-19– June 5, 2020
- Situation Report #131_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #131_ COVID-19– June 4, 2020
- Situation Report #130_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #130_ COVID-19– June 3, 2020
- Situation Report #129_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #129_ COVID-19– June 2, 2020
- Situation Report #128_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #128_ COVID-19– June 1, 2020
- Situation Report #127_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #127_ COVID-19– May 31, 2020
- Situation Report #126_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #126_ COVID-19– Assessment centre locations can now be found on the ministry website.- May 30, 2020
- Situation Report #125_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #125_ COVID-19– May 29, 2020
- Situation Report #124_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #124_ COVID-19– May 28, 2020
- Situation Report #123_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #123_ COVID-19– May 27, 2020
- Situation Report #122_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #122_ COVID-19– The CMOH Directive #2 (issued March 19, 2020) has been amended to reflect the gradual restart of all deferred and non-essential and elective services carried out by health care providers. The revised Directive is attached along with the accompanying document “COVID-19 Operational Requirements: Health Sector Restart”. May 26, 2020
- Situation Report #121_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #121_ COVID-19– The COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms has been updated to include some additional language around how multisystem inflammatory vasculitis may present in children. May 25, 2020
- Situation Report #120_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #120_ COVID-19 – Additional direction was issued today on testing for COVID-19- English and French– May 24, 2020
- Situation Report #119_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #119_ COVID-19 – May 23, 2020
- Situation Report #118_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #118_ COVID-19– The guidance for Primary Care Providers in a Community Setting was updated. Highlights of changes include expanded guidance for in-person care for essential visits, testing and specimen collection, and occupational health and safety. A list of key resources is also included within.- May 22, 2020
- Situation Report #117_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #117_ COVID-19– May 21, 2020
- Situation Report #116_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #116_ COVID-19– May 20, 2020
- Situation Report #115_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #115_ COVID-19 – May 19, 2020
- Situation Report #114_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #114_ COVID-19– May 18, 2020
- Situation Report #113_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #113_ COVID-19– May 17, 2020
- Situation Report #112_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #112_ COVID-19– May 16, 2020
- Situation Report #111_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #111_ COVID-19– May 15, 2020
- Situation Report #110_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #110_ COVID-19– The testing guidance was updated to expand access to testing for Ontarians who are experiencing symptoms compatible with COVID-19. The symptoms list has also been slightly modified to include myalgia (muscle aches) as an atypical symptom. Both documents are attached and will be available soon on the Ministry’s website.- May 14, 2020
- Situation Report #109_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #109_ COVID-19– May 13, 2020
- Situation Report #108_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #108_ COVID-19– An updated case definition and reference document for symptoms have been posted on the Ministry’s website in English and French. The updated case definition includes consideration for travel within Canada (as well as international travel), and includes updates to the ‘probable’ case definition to include people who were living/working in a facility known to be experiencing an outbreak. The updated symptoms list now includes multisystem inflammatory vasculitis in children. Other guidance documents are currently being updated to align with these changes- May 12, 2020
- Situation Report #107_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #107_ COVID-19– May 11, 2020
- Situation Report #106_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #106_ COVID-19– May 10, 2020
- Situation Report #105_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #105_ COVID-19– May 9, 2020
- Situation Report #104_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #104_ COVID-19– May 8, 2020
- Situation Report #103_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #103_ COVID-19– May 7, 2020
- Situation Report #102_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #102_ COVID-19– May 6, 2020
- Situation Report #101_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #101_ COVID-19– The Government of Ontario announced it is expanding virtual mental health services to help thousands of Ontarians experiencing anxiety and depression, including frontline health care workers, during the COVID-19 outbreak.May 5, 2020
- Situation Report #100_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #100_ COVID-19– May 4, 2020
- Situation Report #99_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #99_ COVID-19– May 3, 2020
- Situation Report #98_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #98_ COVID-19– The Provincial Testing Guidance, Quick Reference Public Health Guidance on Testing and Clearance, Reference Document for Symptoms and Patient Screening Guidance have been updated and are attached. They will be available shortly on the ministry’s website in French and English.- May 2, 2020
- Situation Report #97_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #97_ COVID-19– May 1, 2020
- Situation Report #96_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #96_ COVID-19– Apr. 30, 2020
- Situation Report #95_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #95_ COVID-19– Apr. 29, 2020
- Situation Report #94_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #94_ COVID-19– Apr. 28, 2020
- Situation Report #93_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #93_ COVID-19– An amended Primary Care Provider Guidance document is attached. The amended document makes reference to the ‘COVID-19 Patient Screening Guidance Document’ under active screening, and clarifies that the case definition is primarily meant for public health surveillance purposes.- Apr. 27, 2020
- Situation Report #92_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #92_ COVID-19-Apr. 26, 2020
- Situation Report #91_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #91_ COVID-19-edited– we’re currently awaiting clarity on one of the original attachments. It’s not in this version but will be uploaded once an update is received.-Apr. 25, 2020
- Situation Report #90_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #90_ COVID-19-Apr. 24, 2020
- Situation Report #89_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #89_ COVID-19– The Ministry has developed two documents which can be used to assist with COVID-19 screening. The first is the COVID-19 Symptoms document that can be used a resource for partners who are looking for an up-to-date symptoms list. The second is a Patient Screening Guidance document which can be used as a tool to help screen people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. They are available in English and French on the Ministry’s website and will be updated as the situation evolves. -Apr. 23, 2020
- Situation Report #88_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #88_ COVID-19-Apr. 22, 2020
- Situation Report #87_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #87_ COVID-19-Apr. 21, 2020
- Situation Report #86_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #86_ COVID-19-Apr. 20, 2020
- Situation Report #85_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #85_ COVID-19-Apr. 19, 2020
- Situation Report #84_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #84_ COVID-19-Apr. 18, 2020
- Situation Report #83_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #83_ COVID-19– Government of Ontario passed new emergency orders today and there has been an update to the Quick Reference Public Health Guidance on Testing and Clearing Cases to provide additional information on work self-isolation for health care workers- Apr. 17, 2020
- Situation Report #82_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #82_ COVID-19 – Apr. 16, 2020
- Situation Report #81_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #81_ COVID-19– New signage has been created for health care settings and is available for download from the ministry’s website in French and English. The provincial Testing Guidance document was updated to reflect the next phase of the testing strategy. -Apr. 15, 2020
- Situation Report #80_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #80_ COVID-19 – The Government of Ontario announced it is extending the Declaration of Emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act for a further 28 days, until May 12. – Apr. 14, 2020
- Situation Report #79_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #79_ COVID-19– The Government of Ontario announced yesterday it is developing a new health data platform called the Pandemic Threat Response (PANTHR) that will allow researchers to better support health system planning and responsiveness, including the immediate need to analyze the current COVID-19 outbreak.Apr. 13, 2020
- Situation Report #78_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #78_ COVID-19– Apr. 12, 2020
- Situation Report #77_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #77_ COVID-19– Apr. 11, 2020
- Situation Report #76_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #76_ COVID-19– Apr. 10, 2020
- Situation Report #75_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #75_ COVID-19– Apr. 9, 2020
- Situation Report #74_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #74_ COVID-19-Apr. 8, 2020
- Situation Report #73_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #73_ COVID-19-Apr. 7, 2020
- Situation Report #72_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #72_ COVID-19-Apr. 6, 2020
- Situation Report #71_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #71_ COVID-19-Apr. 5, 2020
- Situation Report #70_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #70_ COVID-19-Apr. 4, 2020
- Situation Report #69_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #69_ COVID-19 -Apr. 3, 2020
- Situation Report #68_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #68_ COVID-19 -Public Health Ontario published two new fact sheets on Physical Distancing and Taking Care of Yourself and Each Other on their website. -Apr. 2, 2020
- Situation Report #67_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #67_ COVID-19– Apr. 1, 2020
- Situation Report #66_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #66_ COVID-19– The government of Ontario launched a website for emergency child care for health care and frontline staff. This initiative aligns with the ministry’s guidance document on Emergency Childcare Centers, which was published on March 29, 2020 on the ministry’s website.
- Situation Report #65_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #65_ COVID-19-A directive to Health Care Providers and updated case definitions in English and French are listed in Management and operations, human resources and COVID-19.
- Situation Report #64_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #64_ COVID-19
- Situation Report #63_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #63_ COVID-19
- Situation Report #62_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #62_ COVID-19
- Situation Report #61_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #61_ COVID-19
- Situation Report #60_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #60_ COVID-19-Health Canada has published guidance on optimizing the use of masks and respirators during the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Situation Report #59_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #59_ COVID-19-To further contain the spread of COVID-19, the Ontario Government will order the mandatory closure of all non-essential workplaces effective as of today, March 24th at 11:59 p.m. This closure will be in effect for 14 days with the possibility of extending this order as the situation evolves. A full list of businesses that are permitted to stay open is available here.
- Situation Report #58_ COVID-19 _ Rapport sur la Situation #58 _ COVID-1-To further contain the spread of COVID-19, the Ontario Government will order the mandatory closure of all non-essential workplaces effective as of Tuesday, March 24th at 11:59 p.m. This closure will be in effect for 14 days with the possibility of extending this order as the situation evolves. A full list of businesses that are permitted to stay open will be released tomorrow.
- Situation Report #57-Ontario has issued a temporary order that would give hospitals the ability to cancel and postpone services to free-up space and valuable staff, identify staffing priorities, and develop, modify and implement redeployment plans.
- Situation Report #56– The Ministry of Health announced yesterday that to ensure that anyone in need of care can receive it, Ontario is waiving the three-month waiting period for Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage. Additionally, the province will cover the cost of COVID-19 services for uninsured people who do not meet the criteria for OHIP coverage.
- Situation Report #55– Guidance for Primary Care Providers has been updated and included in tabove. French translation is ongoing and these documents will be uploaded to the ministry’s website early next week.
- Situation Report #54-
- Situation Report #53 – A Cyber advisory has been shared with the health system to highlight increased phishing and malicious activity using the COVID19/ CORONA Pandemic as a lure. It is strongly recommended that organizations follow email hygiene/ phishing best practices to defend against this increased activity.
- Situation Report #52 – The Premier of Ontario has declared an emergency under s.7.0.1(1) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
- Situation Report #51 – the province has announced it is expanding TeleHealth service capacity to help address the increased daily call volumes and reduce call wait times. A summary of today’s Command Table meeting is listed above.
- Situation Report #50– The Minister of Health has released a statement regarding elective surgeries
- Situation Report #49– An initial COVID-19 Self Assessment Tool has been posted to the Ontario Government site. Individuals who suspect they have COVID-19 can consult this tool to determine whether and how to seek further care. An automated click-through version of the tool is under development.
- Situation Report #48 – The ministry revised the COVID-19 case definition to clarify who should be tested. We are asking all providers not to test asymptomatic individuals.
- Situation Report #47 – The case definition has been updated and is listed above. French translation is underway, and the ministry’s website will be updated to reflect this change shortly. It is important to note that the case definition includes prioritization of who should be tested.
- Situation Report #46– Public Health Ontario developed guidance in English and French for environmental cleaning for non-heath care settings. The Public Health Agency of Canada has updated the affected areas list on their website.
- Situation Report #45
- Situation Report #44- A status update memo to Health System Organizations and Providers on the work of the Provincial Command Table is listed above.
- Situation Report #43– The Public Health Agency of Canada has developed two new guidance documents for health system partners:
- Situation Report #42
- Situation Report #41– A memo to Health System Organizations and Providers dated March 6 is included above.
- Situation Report #40– The following documents: Self-Isolation Fact Sheet, Caregivers Fact Sheet, and Self-Monitor Fact Sheet have been translated into Farsi and have been included.
- Situation Report #39-A chart has been attached that shows the Risk Levels and Precautions for COVID-19 with links to resources on how to Self Isolate and Guidance for Close Contacts. This will be uploaded to the Ontario.ca/coronavirus website in the coming days. Signage has been updated for healthcare settings and translated into English and French. Simplified Chinese and Farsi translation are underway.
- Situation Report #38- A fact sheet on how to self-monitor has been attached to today’s Situation Report in English and French.
- Situation Report #37– Today, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, announced Ontario is implementing an enhanced response structure that formally brings together a wide range of partners to review, strengthen and implement provincial and regional plans and ensure their responsiveness to the specifics of COVID-19. See News Release for more information.
- Situation Report #36
- Situation Report #35
- Situation Report #34
- Situation Report #33 – A minor revision has been made to the case definition that was sent out yesterday to update the link to the Government of Canada’s website listing COVID-19 impacted areas. French translation also listed above.
- Situation Report #32 – The case definition for COVID-19 is updated with new regions of the world where community transmission is ongoing. The French translation is underway. The attached map illustrates the impacted areas reflected in the updated case definition. (map and case definition listed above under Resurces)
- Situation Report #31 – Two facts sheets (How to self-isolate and Self-isolation: Guide for caregivers, household members and close contacts) that were shared on February 20 have been translated into simplified Chinese and have been attached to this Situation Report. (listed above under Resources)
- Situation Report #30
- Situation Report #29
- Situation Report #28
- Situation Report #27 – The ministry has received numerous questions regarding when COVID-19 testing is appropriate. COVID-19 testing should be conducted when the patient meets the national case definition. While it is recommended that providers test in accordance with the current case definition, information about this virus continues to evolve. Therefore, providers may determine, based on assessment and clinical judgement, that testing for COVID-19 is appropriate outside of the case definition.
- Situation Report #26 – has two information sheets regarding how to self isolate – listed above under ‘Resources’
- Situation Report #25
- Situation Report #24 – In Ontario, there are zero persons under investigation with lab results pending. New signage has been attached that reflects the change in case definition to mainland China. Signs are currently in English, French and simplified Chinese.
- Situation Report #23
- Situation Report #22
- Situation Report #21
- Situation Report #20 – As of February 10, 2020, Public Health Ontario Laboratory pre-approval for COVID-19 testing is no longer required, provided that mandatory information is included on the requisition.
- Situation Report # 19– Updated guidance documents for Acute Care, Paramedics, Primary Care, Home & Community Care and Long Term Care settings have been added to the ministry website. Additional guidance documents will be uploaded as appropriate. A Q&A document has been added to this Situation Report that will seek to answer common questions that have been received by the Ministry Emergency Operation Centre.
- Situation Report # 18– The World Health Organization has renamed 2019-nCoV, with the formal name of COVID-19. This name change will be reflected in future documents published by the ministry.
- Situation Report # 17– No new countries reported cases of 2019-nCoV in the past 24 hours
- Situation Report # 16– North America: United States (12 cases), Canada (7 cases)
- Situation Report # 15 – The ministry continues to work with federal and local partners to support repatriated citizens who arrived on the two flights in Trenton yesterday. A third flight is tentatively scheduled to arrive in Trenton on February 11.
- Situation Report # 14– The case definition has been updated and travel history has been expanded to mainland China. The updated definition is also reflected on the ministry’s website. The Public Health Agency of Canada has updated guidance for travellers who have recently been to Hubei province.
- Situation Report # 13– A Q & A document regarding current supplies in the province is attached. Health care providers facing immediate challenges with their personal protective equipment supply levels can email the ministry at EOCLogistics.MOH@ontario.ca.
- Situation Report # 12 – The ministry has developed an information sheet about 2019-nCoV to inform the public about the virus. It is now available on the government website in French, English and 17 other languages.
- Situation Report #11 – The ministry continues to work with the federal government to confirm repatriation plans from Wuhan, China for Canadian citizens scheduled to arrive at CFB Trenton this week.
- Situation Report #10 – The Ontario Medical Association has created a Summary of Guidance for Primary Care Providers in Community Based Settings to assist health system partners
- Situation Report #9– North America: United States (8 cases), Canada (4 cases)
- Situation Report #8– 3rd confirmed case in an individual with recent travel history to Wuhan
- Situation Report #7 – 2019-nCoV case definition and Primary Care guidance (French and English) updated
- Situation Report #6 – The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern
- Situation Report #5– website for healthcare providers is now live.
- Situation Report #4– initial guidance document for Primary Care Providers available
- Situation Report #3– The National Microbiology Laboratory confirmed the first case of 2019-nCoV that was initially reported as presumptive positive. The case continues to be stable. – Jan. 27, 2020
- Situation Report #2– The presumptive confirmed case continues to be stable at Sunnybrook- Jan. 26, 2020
- First presumptive confirmed case for the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Ontario– Email sent of behalf of Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Jan. 25, 2020
- Situation Report #1– Ontario identified a presumptive confirmed case in Toronto. This is Ontario’s and Canada’s first case. Testing is ongoing for persons under investigation- Jan. 25, 2020
- Assistant Chief Medical Officer of Health Letter- novel coronavirus– Jan. 24, 2020
- Chief Medical Officer of Health Memo- Novel Coronavirus in China – Jan. 10, 2020
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Bits & Pieces: address from incoming president Dr. Allan Grill, COVID checklist for primary care & more
Your Weekly News & Updates
In This Issue - Address from incoming president Dr. Allan Grill
- #AFHTO2020: following up
- Immediate need for case and contact management
- Member stories- COVID-19 EMR screening, virtual clinic and SDOH
- New BounceBack client resources available
- OMA’s OHT white paper
- Togetherall social media content and mini videos
- COVID-19 checklist for primary care and more
- Upcoming events regarding processing trauma experiences and more
Address from incoming president Dr. Allan Grill
Our new president and chair Dr. Allan Grill shares his perspective as he starts his new term after our annual conference. Find out about his goals here.
#AFHTO2020: following up
Now that the conference is over, we’re in the process of editing the recordings and compiling the materials. We hope to make these available soon. If you were a presenter and you haven’t sent in your slides or poster, please email them to conference@afhto.ca.
Immediate need for case and contact management
On Oct. 19 we sent an email on behalf of the Ministry of Health to EDs and Admin Leads regarding the immediate need for case and contact management. Read it here, along with a new FAQ (available at the triad level only).
Member stories- COVID-19 EMR screening, virtual clinic and SDOH
City of Lakes FHT: case study on efficiently screening for COVID 19 in Northern Ontario
Elliott Lake FHT: ELFHT marks first anniversary of Virtual Clinic
St. Michael’s Hospital Academic FHT: how the pandemic inspired a primary care model for addressing social needs
New BounceBack client resources available
To help your patients manage their heightened anxiety, stress and worry related to the pandemic or other long-term stressors, the BounceBack team has developed some new resources, available in English and French.This includes handouts for: new parents, youth 15-18, caregivers, and individuals experiencing chronic pain. You can also download their tip sheet for managing your mental health during COVID-19.
You can find all the resources on the Care Providers section of their website.
As a reminder, you can now easily refer your clients to BounceBack in three ways, including directly on the website using the online referral form, through your EMR, or by sending an eReferral in your EMR through the Ocean eReferral Network.
And finally, to ensure that the BounceBack program is meeting your needs and the needs of your patients, they invite you to take their survey. The survey should only take 5 minutes, and your responses are completely anonymous.
Please reach out to the BounceBack marketing and communications team if you have any questions.
OMA’s OHT white paper
The Ontario Medical Association has just released its Ontario Health Teams White Paper: Early Learnings and Recommendations for the Evolution of OHTs. Read it here.
Togetherall social media content and mini videos
This month’s themes include staying connected, combating seasonal changes and balancing your thinking (they have a free course on this topic):- COVID-19 video #1: Stuck at home? Need somewhere to talk?
- COVID-19 Video #2: It’s important to stay connected
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Graphics
- Balance your thinking: Course graphic
- Accompanying blurbs
COVID-19 checklist for primary care and more
Updates recently released include:
- Infection Prevention and Control Assessment for Primary Care, Specialty and Walk-in Clinics during COVID-19– Public Health Ontario checklist, Oct. 20, 2020
- Flu Resource Document – Centre for Effective Practice, Oct. 20, 2020
We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:
- Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and Ministry situation reports (please note that the Ministry Situation Reports on COVID-19 are posted daily so review them to better understand the provincial response)
- COVID-19 assessment centres in Ontario
- COVID-19 information for Patients, Caregivers and the Public
- Infection control resources and tools for primary care
- H+K Memos and Insight Notes on Government Press Releases
- Management and operations, human resources and COVID-19
- Mental health and wellness during COVID-19
- Providing Comprehensive Care During COVID-19
- Resources for Re-opening – NEW
- Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19
Choosing Wisely Webinars, Oct. 22, 2020
Choose from 3 webinars that will explore how you can choose wisely when using antibiotics
More details can be found here.
Advanced Privacy Officer Training, Nov. 3, 2020
Get your privacy officer certificate in health law using this training module offered by Kate Dewhirst Health Law. Find out more here.
Processing Trauma Experiences With Palliative Care Clients And Their Families, Nov. 4 – Dec. 2, 2020
Join the HPCO in this 5-part series intended for all sectors of hospice palliative care. Focuses for sessions include work with veterans, refugees and first nations.
Learn more here.
Strengthening Families Together Virtual Series, Nov. 5 – 26, 2020
Caregivers providing support to someone living with schizophrenia or a psychosis related illness are invited to this 4-session family education group.
More details can be found here.
Physician Leadership and the Future of Community Care, Nov. 5, 2020
Join the Ivey Academy’s panel discussion around the challenges, learnings, and adaptations to the pandemic for primary care providers. Find out more here.
Osgoode Professional Development, Oct. 5, 2020 – Apr 28, 2021
AFHTO is partnering with York University’s OPD to provide members 10% off a variety of health law programs for professional development. For discount code and course offerings, click here. -
Conversations with local public health units – and additional tools and resources
Dear triad members,
After a bit of down time this summer, we restarted our regular regional ED check-in calls. At the beginning of the month we connected with EDs across all regions, and we were joined by representatives from local public health units.
We discussed preparation for wave 2 and flu season and how we can continue to manage having children in school. Below are the resources that were shared by the PHUs, as well as more information on the topics discussed that may be helpful. We have also included information about the Ontario Hospital Association’s #StopTheSpread campaign at the end, which we encourage you to share with your teams.
Preparation for flu season
- Flu season is here, and vaccine distribution has started. Managing flu season alongside the pandemic, ensuring adequate access to resources, and ensuring sufficient access to vaccines are top concerns.
- AFHTO continues to speak to the importance of prioritisation of vaccine distribution for primary care, and the challenges on continuity of care given the larger focus on distribution to pharmacies. We are also flagging the concern about vaccines that were missed in schools in the spring due to closures, and we are asking about the catch-up plan.
- Building off the questions and input on the ED calls, AFHTO worked with the Centre for Effective Practice and our partners at the OMA, OCFP, and NPAO to develop flu guidelines to assist primary care providers. This flu resource document will be posted tomorrow, October 20, and will include checklists for the following sites: mobile clinics, office-based clinics, offsite indoor clinics, curbside/drive thru clinics, and outdoor walk thru clinics.
- Teams may also find the following resources helpful:
- Influenza vaccine guidelines (Durham Region Health Department)
- Influenza quick reference guide 2020-21 (Ontario Medical Association)
- Guidance for immunization services during COVID-19 (Ontario Health)
- It remains important for all teams to be connecting with their local public health units to help inform and coordinate the regional approach to flu shot clinics and distribution.
COVID-19 resources and supports
- Here are some resources to help teams manage wave 2 of the pandemic:
- COVID-19: Preparedness for wave 2 (Public Health Ontario)
- What we know so far about the risks to health care workers (Public Health Ontario)
- #PublicHealthProtects, COVID response (Durham Region Health Department)
- Management of case and contacts of COVID-19 in Ontario (Ministry of Health)
- Optimizing care through COVID-19 transmission scenarios (Ontario Health)
- COVID-19 resource list (COVID-19 Community of Practice for Ontario Family Physicians)
Guidelines for cleaning/disinfecting in community-based settings
- The public health units provided links to several documents that teams may find helpful in cleaning and disinfecting.
School Reopenings
- Public Health Ontario has developed the following resources to assist with reopening and children being back in school:
- The Centre for Effective Practice also recently released Paediatric screening, testing, isolation and return to school.
- Children’s Mental Heath Ontario has posted a CMHO Back to School Kit.
- The OMA has also posted tools for back to school, which can be seen here.
- Resources include Back to school 2020: Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care, moderated by Dr. Allan Grill
Resources from public health units
- Here are presentations from the ED calls that cover a variety of topics and fit in more than one of the above sections. You can see information in these on flu season, COVID-19, assessment centres, and other topics:
- Public Health Update, Simcoe Muskoka Health Unit
- Public Health Update, Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health
- Public Health Update, York Region Public Health
- Includes links to healthcare provider phone and web resources.
- Multiple other public fact sheets can be found on PHO’s COVID-19 public resources page.
OHA Launches Social Media Campaign to #StoptheSpread of COVID-19
- The Ontario Hospital Association is launching a social media campaign that we encourage members participate in! The #StopTheSpread of COVID-19 campaign is targeting three audience groups: (1) ages 20-30, (2) broad audience 40s+, and (3) health care workers.
- There is a special landing page for health care workers and their participation is critical – no one can speak better to the importance of getting everyone to do their part. There can be personal comments, selfies, and team photos, and there is the opportunity to express why it’s important that we all encourage others to do their part. It is a pledge for us all to help #StopTheSpread.
- We hope you will distribute this across your team and encourage they engage in it!
We hope you find these resources helpful. Please reach any time with questions, and we will send meeting invites out soon for our ED check-in in November.
Sincerely,
Your AFHTO team
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Immediate Need for Case and Contact Management
Dear Executive Directors and Administrative Leads,
This message is being sent out on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Population Health Initiatives with regards to their need to immediately support the provincial care and contact management strategy, especially in regions where the COVID-19 numbers are steadily increasing. If you have any team members who can be redeployed to do this virtual work (it can be done in any part of the province), please read through the ask and contact Elise at the email below. In addition, if you have any questions or would need additional supports to even consider this request please let us know ASAP and we will do our best to provide the supports and/or answers that you need.
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The Ministry of Health (MOH) has identified a need for individuals who can be temporarily redeployed to assist with case investigation and management as part of the province’s enhanced Case and Contact Management Strategy.This critical work is central to helping prevent the spread of COVID-19, through reaching out to positive cases, investigating acquisition and determining close contacts. The ministry is looking for individuals available for temporary redeployment beginning October 2020.
Individuals interested in providing support will complete virtual training modules developed by Public Health Ontario and the Public Health Agency of Canada. Case managers will conduct interviews of patients with confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, with a focus on empathy and cultural competency. Interviews should include providing disease-specific information; assessing signs and symptoms, and underlying health conditions; discussion symptom onset to determine window period for contact elicitation and exposure risk for contacts; discussing activities to identify who may have been exposed; eliciting information on close contacts; and assessing support needs to maintain health and compliance during self-isolation. All work will be completed remotely.
We are looking for primary care teams that can sufficiently maintain access to its programs and services but still have capacity to redeploy health professionals with experience in interviewing/counseling patients in a health care setting to assist with case investigation and management. Knowledge and experience in communicable diseases of public health interest, and in infection prevention and control practices in community settings, would be an asset. Individuals should have strong emotional intelligence and communication skills. Additional language skills would also be an asset.
For any questions or to indicate interest in providing support for this work, please contact Elise.Belzil2@ontario.ca.
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Thank you for considering this request and again, if you have any questions please let us know.Additional Information:
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Georgina NPLC’s COVID-19 testing drive-thru tests over 130 residents as negative
Georgina Post article published August 5, 2020
By Mike Anderson
More than 130 residents tested negative for COVID-19 after the Georgina Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic (GNPLC) launched a “pop-up” drive-thru testing site at the Georgina Sutton Arena Hall parking lot on July 29.
According to GNPLC Clinical Director Beth Cowper-Fung, 133 tests were completed, including nine walk-ins, with no one testing positive for the virus.
“All tests were negative. Some very happy folks will get to visit loved ones in other provinces or long-term care,” she said.
While Ms. Cowper-Fung was hoping for a bigger turnout, with 400 swabs available for testing, she wasn’t sure they could have handled any more vehicles.
“I was hoping to get more. But we were steady. And so even if we had 400 cars show up, I don’t know that we could have seen them all, and it would have been horrific to turn them away,” she said.
“Those 133 people will now go out there into the community and say it doesn’t kill you. It’s not that bad. And so we may have more interest going forward.”
While some residents were a little apprehensive about getting the test, they were grateful not to have to drive to Newmarket to get it done.
More than a dozen vehicles lined-up for the start of the “no-appointment necessary” testing, which was offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The first car to enter the parking lot was driven by Joan from Jackson’s Point, who has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and wanted to get tested for some peace of mind.
“I do cough, and I just wanted to make double sure,” she said.
“I think it’s a great idea because many people can’t get down to Newmarket or just don’t want to, because they’re afraid to go to the hospital where they might catch it.”
That sentiment was echoed by Rachel, from Pefferlaw, who wanted to get a test because she hasn’t seen family members, including a sister who’s ill, in four months.
“I think a lot of people have wanted something like this earlier. Because it’s too far to drive to Newmarket,” she said.
Despite concerns that expanded community testing might lead to a spike in Georgina’s COVID numbers — currently six active cases with no new cases reported over the past seven days — several residents said that it’s necessary to curb the spread of the virus.
“We’re doing a pretty good job. But with the beaches opening up, I’m concerned. It’s important to test because some people are carriers and don’t even know they have it,” Joan said.
“I think testing is good. Because you’re not going to know who’s sick and who’s not, I think it’s for the best. We should know,” Rachel added.
Rachel would like to see more drive-thru testing, as more people are coming from outside Georgina during the summer months.
“A lot of them are acting foolishly and not obeying the laws.”
Mayor Margaret Quirk also wants to see more community testing going forward.
“If you’re asymptomatic and you’ve got the COVID virus, you need to know, and we as a community need to know,” she said.
“At the very beginning of this pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the key to bringing the pandemic under control is testing, testing, and more testing.”
Mayor Quirk also emphasized that testing on this scale, couldn’t happen without the leadership of the Georgina NPLC.
“They have health care professionals. They know what they’re doing. This didn’t just happen overnight. This took a lot of planning. We, as a Town, don’t have the ability to put a testing site in. So it’s great that the nurse practitioners have stepped up to do it.”
While the event was a logistical challenge, requiring contributions from various health agencies, the Town of Georgina, local not-for-profits and businesses, Ms. Cowper-Fung is considering more drive-thru testing events in the coming months.
But she would like to streamline the process.
While she said that the actual swabbing was fast, there was a lot of time spent handling IDs and processing paperwork.
She’d like to double the number of administrative staff and pre-book tests, allowing forms and labels to be printed beforehand.
Still, she estimates it took just 16 minutes from start to finish, if the vehicle was six car lengths behind.
Test results, which typically take from 36 to 72 hours, are posted online at https://covid-19.ontario.ca and require an OHIP card number to access.
If residents do not have an OHIP card or cannot access a computer, the staff at the GNPLC will assist them.
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Mount Forest FHT receives grant to reach Mennonite, Amish populations
Wellington Advertiser article published July 15, 2020
WELLINGTON NORTH – The Mount Forest Family Health Team (MFFHT) has received a grant to help it provide virtual support to area Mennonite and Amish residents.
The Centre Wellington Community Foundation (CWCF) announced on July 13 it has awarded a $10,880 grant to the Township of Wellington North.
The grant enables the township to provide support to help the health team obtain appropriate technology and support services to assist Old Order Mennonite, Old Order Amish, and Dave Martin Group Mennonites with access to health services that must be delivered virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A press release from the foundation notes the MFFHT catchment area includes approximately 5,217 Old Order Mennonites, Old Order Amish, and Dave Martin Group Mennonites.
They rely on in-person visits to local health care services, as their beliefs do not permit them to have access to technology or only to access technology in a limited way.
“It’s crucial to find new ways to serve vulnerable populations in our community that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,” said CWCF executive director Raymond Soucy.
“This initiative achieves that in spades. CWCF is excited to be able to support this community initiative.”
“Obviously this is fantastic news,” said Wellington North councillor Lisa Hern during council’s July 13 video conference meeting.
“You hear a lot in the news about how COVID-19 is affecting different demographics and our Mennonite population is overlooked when people discuss that. So I’m very excited to see that we are not overlooking our Mennonite population.”
“This is a great example of a partnership,” said township CAO Mike Givens.
Township becomes ‘middle man’
Givens noted the health team reached out to the township “to act as a middle man,” in the grant process.“They have the plan in place as it relates to technology and how they want to implement it with some of the Mennonite community, as well as some of the others that maybe don’t have access to the technology that the rest of us do,” Givens explained.
He noted the health team will deliver the program, while the township’s responsibility includes fulfilling reporting requirements.
“We’ve had a number of announcements over the last year with this partner and we’re getting a little more active and it’s nice to see these partnerships deliver results,” observed Mayor Andy Lennox.
The grant is part of the Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF), funded by the federal government and administered locally by CWCF.
The ECSF is a $350-million fund being implemented with Community Foundations of Canada, the Canadian Red Cross, and United Way Centraide Canada, in partnership with local foundations across the country.
Its goal is to provide support to charities and non-profit organizations serving vulnerable Canadians.
CWCF is encouraging organizations servicing Centre Wellington, North Wellington, Minto and Mapleton to apply for grants by going to www.cwcfoundation.ca.
The granting program closes July 27 – or earlier, if all available funding is granted.
“The Centre Wellington Community Foundation is reviewing and awarding funding weekly to support projects that help ensure no one is left behind in COVID-19 recovery measures,” foundation officials state.
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How STAR FHT doctor’s videos help navigate COVID-19 pandemic
CBC article published June 24, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned Stratford-based family physician Sean Blaine into an internet sensation of sorts — as a YouTube commentator offering tips to navigate the health emergency.
Blaine says he has “a couple of ideas on how we can get through this thing together.” He has been sharing his views on why masks are an essential part of public health practice and why everyone should always have one at the ready.
According to Blaine, the whole thing started because he was disappointed in the response to COVID-19.
‘Too late’
“It began in April or so right in the heat of the pandemic. I was talking with a friend and … I was just frustrated because it felt like we were just kind of always behind it, always too late with everything we were doing,” Blaine told CBC News.
At that time, he said the only reasonable exit strategy for dealing with the pandemic is to adopt widespread immunity testing to determine who among us possesses the required antibodies to keep the virus at bay.
“I was feeling helpless and frustrated, and I remember one day I was on the phone chatting with a friend. I heard at the time that there were some Canadian companies that were developing some serological tests or immunity tests and I thought the government should just pour money into this.
“I was ranting on the phone with my friend and he said … I want to film you doing this,” Blaine added.
The rest, as they say, is history.
With the help of documentary producer Craig Thompson, Blaine has been making short videos designed to help people protect themselves and others from COVID-19.
The latest video, Matter of Masks, was posted on June 19. Within a week it amassed nearly 20,000 views.
Positive reaction
Based on the viewer comments, people appreciate what Blaine is doing.
“This is a clear message. Thank you Dr Blaine,” Dorothy Byrne-Jones wrote.
“And yes carry a mask with you … Remember it is not about making a fashion statement. You don’t need to have one to match what you are wearing.”
Meanwhile, Anne Anderson said the public should know, “my mask protects you, and your mask protects me,” and if everyone has a mask, we are all protected.
“Thanks for this, but people who won’t wear one believe they don’t need to because they are not sick or they are young … People still have it in their head that a mask doesn’t protect them and that’s all they care about,” Anderson added.
“We have the ability to know whether people are immune to this disease or not, and that’s our ticket to de-escalating the measures we’re in and getting our economy back on track,” Blaine said.
“Let’s solve the problem here and then share it with the rest of the world.”
