Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Online Bulletin for Health Care Providers

April 27, 2020

From:
Dr. Piotr Oglaza
Medical Officer of Health & CEO
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health

In this Issue:

1. Local COVID-19 Update
2. COVID-19 Testing and Assessment for Community Patients
3. COVID-19 Screening and Management of Patients
4. Long-Term Care (LTC) and Retirement Home (RH) Specific Updates
5. HPEPH COVID-19 Documents
6. Reporting of COVID-19

Local COVID-19 Update

Hastings and Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) continues to provide COVID-19 case and contact management that includes identification, testing, education, self isolation direction, and daily monitoring to ensure patient compliance and infection control practices are optimized. We are working closely with our colleagues and community partners to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 throughout our two counties. As of this publication, there have been 38 lab confirmed cases and 208 probable cases. Daily COVID-19 updates can be found on our new surveillance webpage HPEPH COVID-19 Cases dashboard.

COVID-19 Testing and Assessment for Community Patients

• Testing should be considered based on clinical assessment and not on the case definition
• HPEPH encourages clinicians to test all patients with COVID-19 symptoms, including atypical symptoms, as listed in the new Ministry of Health COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms (April 22)
• Prioritize testing when resources are limited as per COVID-19 Provincial Testing Guidance (April 15)
• Refer to MOH Quick Reference Public Health Guidance on Testing and Clearance Version 5.1 (April 17)
• Patients requiring COVID-19 assessment and testing can be referred to one of three local COVID Assessment Centres (CAC) or the Paramedic COVID-19 Response Team using the Referral for COVID-19 Assessment Form
• Current turnaround time for test results from the laboratory is dependant on patient status and capacity, at present this varies from 24 hours to 1 week.

COVID-19 Screening and Management of Patients

• New COVID-19 Patient Screening Guidance Document for all health sectors and emergency response systems
• Updated COVID-19 Guidance: Primary Care Providers in a Primary Care Setting Version 4, (April 25) includes:
  • Expanded list of symptoms
  • Additional guidance for virtual and in-person care
  • Expanded guidance on testing and options
  • Links to latest Directives, Memorandums and Other Resources

Long-Term Care (LTC) and Retirement Home (RH) Specific Updates

• New Enhanced testing within LTC, regardless of symptoms, to better understand prevalence of COVID-19 within this vulnerable population has started. Refer to HPEPH COVID-19 Testing for ALL Long-term Care Home Residents and Staff Memo for additional details.
• Enhanced testing of Retirement Home staff and residents to follow
• Updated COVID-19 Outbreak Guidance for LTC homes (April 15)
• Updated COVID-19 Screening Tool for LTC and RH (Version 2 – April 24)
• Directive # 3 issued April 15
• Temporary Pause on Hospital Discharge to LTC/RH issued April 15
• New LTC and RH Consult Line for General Internal Medicine – to provide support to primary care physicians, nurse practitioners and medical directors working in LTC and RH
• New LTC and RH staff ordered to limit work location to one facility effective April 22 as per:
  • Limiting Work to a single LTC home
  • Limiting Work to a single RH

HPEPH COVID-19 Documents

• Updated Health Care Worker Self-isolation and Return to Work Guidelines (Apr 27)
  • detailed criteria related to HCW’s and critical staffing needs
  • HPEPH supports health care organizations to make their own assessment and decisions regarding critical staffing needs and recommends HCW’s report to their Occupational Health for direction.
• New Class Order for Residents of HPEPH under Section 22 of Health Protection and Promotion Act
  • Enables HPEPH to enforce self-isolation requirements

Reporting of COVID-19

• COVID-19 is a designated disease of public health significance and is thus reportable under the Health Protection and Promotion Act. Regulated health professionals must report all confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 to HPEPH, including any patients being tested for COVID-19.
• Reports can be made via fax or email using the new COVID-19 Primary Care Reporting Form available on our COVID-19 HCP webpage or by telephone to our Communicable and Infectious Disease intake line 613-966-5500 x 349. Please ensure report form is completed in full and all requested information is included.

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HPEPH has closed our doors to the public; however, we remain dedicated in protecting our community and providing local HCPs and our community with new information as it becomes available. Current information on COVID-19 specifically for health care providers can be found at hpePublicHealth.ca, Ontario Ministry of Health and at publichealthontario.ca.

For more information and for COVID risk assessment, contact our dedicated COVID intake line at 613-966-5500. Phone calls are being answered 7 days a week. Hours Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 6:30 pm; Saturday, Sunday and statutory holidays 8:30 am - 4:30 pm.

Back to Summary

Contact Information: 

To give us your comments: kkhani@hpeph.ca

To report communicable diseases:613-966-5500 x349

To report AEFI or DOPHS: Online / Fax - 613-966-1813 or CDCFAX1@hpeph.ca

Health Bulletin Editors: Kamran Khani

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