Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Online Bulletin for Health Care Providers

May 1, 2020

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

In this Issue:

  1. Local COVID-19 Update
  2. Long-Term Care (LTC) and Retirement Homes (RH) Updates
  3. COVID-19 Testing and Assessment for Community Patients
  4. Reporting of COVID-19
  5. Additional Guidance Documents and Resources
  6. TB Skin Testing Availability

Local COVID-19 Update

As of this publication, there have been 41 lab confirmed cases within Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, with 20 reported as recovered and 4 deaths. Currently three local long-term care homes are in lab confirmed COVID-19 outbreak and are working closely with Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) to quickly identify and manage cases and contacts to protect this vulnerable population. Daily COVID-19 updates can be found on our new surveillance webpage HPEPH COVID-19 Dashboard.

Long-Term Care (LTC) and Retirement Homes (RH) Updates

  • Enhanced COVID-19 surveillance testing of residents and staff, regardless of symptoms, is nearing completion in all local long-term care homes, as well as within most retirement homes.
  • Personal protective equipment supply options:
  • UPDATE – New admissions and re-admissions may resume under specific circumstances.
    • Transfer of Hospital Patients and Community Clients to LTC is permitted under the following circumstances:
      • Resident has been tested for COVID-19, has a negative result and is transferred to the home within 24 hours of receiving the result.
      • Receiving home is NOT in a COVID-19 outbreak.
      • It is a re-admission to LTC (resident is returning to their home) or a new admission from the community (initial admissions to long-term care from hospital continue to be temporarily paused).
    • Transfer of Hospital Patients to Retirement Homes is permitted under the following circumstances:
      • Receiving home is NOT in a COVID-19 outbreak.
      • Resident has been tested for COVID-19, has a negative result and is transferred to the home within 24 hours of receiving the result.
      • Receiving home has a plan to ensure that the resident being admitted can complete 14 days of self isolation.
      • Receiving home has a plan to ensure that the resident being admitted can complete 14 days of self isolation.

COVID-19 Testing and Assessment for Community Patients

  • Testing should be considered based on clinical assessment and not on the case definition.
  • Clinicians may refer patients requiring COVID-19 assessment and testing to one of four local COVID Assessment Centres (CAC) or the Paramedic COVID-19 Response Team using the online Referral for COVID-19 Assessment Form. Send your referral directly to your selected option.
  • 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.

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 COVID-19 Primary Care Reporting Form (available in print or electronic version) on our COVID-19 HCP webpage, under Reporting. Please ensure report form is completed in full and all requested information is included.

Additional Guidance Documents and Resources

  • Please refer to HPEPH COVID-19 Health Care Provider Page online at hpePublicHealth.ca/covid-19-hcp/ for additional COVID-19 information including:

    • HPEPH Bulletins for HCP.
    • Sector and Specialty Specific guidance documents and resources.
    • Directives and Updates from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.
    • Testing, screening and reporting guidelines.

TB Skin Testing Availability

  • Quinte Travel Health Clinic (Walsh and Associates) will be resuming TB skin testing in their Belleville office effective May 12 for those requiring a test for employment, volunteer and school purpose
  • Appointments can be booked online at www.qthc.ca.

-------------------------------------------

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-19 risk assessment, contact our dedicated COVID-19 intake line at 613-966-5500. Phone calls are being answered 7 days a week. Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 am - 6:30 pm; Saturday, Sunday and statutory holidays 8:30 am - 4:30 pm.

Back to Summary

We want to ensure this ebulletin is as useful as possible. Please send your questions, comments and suggestions to kkhani@hpeph.ca

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

You have received this email at kkhani@hpeph.ca from Hastings Prince Edward Public Health as a result of a request you have made or due to a service/subscription that you are registered for. While you may discontinue your subscription to this mailing at any time by pressing the unsubscribe button below, please note that this bulletin will be used to provide important updates about infectious and communicable disease.