Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Online Bulletin for Health Care Providers

September 4, 2020

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

In this Issue:

1. Updated Long-Term Care Directive #3
2. Back to School
3. Influenza Season HCP Education Opportunities

Updated Long-Term Care Directive #3

Directive #3 for Long-term Care Homes has been updated to allow residents to leave their homes for short-stays and temporary absences.

• For short-stay absences (daily outings), homes must provide residents with a medical mask that is to be worn at all times while they are outside the home, if they can tolerate it. When a resident returns to the home, they must be screened actively by staff but are not required to be tested or to self-isolate.
• Temporary absences (one or more overnight absences) will be approved by the home, on a case-by-case basis. If the decision is made to deny a temporary absence request, home administrators must communicate it in writing, including the rationale, to the resident/substitute decision-maker. Upon their return to the home from an overnight absence, the resident will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Further COVID-19 information can be found on our COVID-19 Resources for Health Care Providers page.

Back to School

HPE Public Health has been working closely with schools partners to ensure a safe return to school for students and staff. The Ministry of Education has released two documents to support schools and Public Health in managing COVID-19 within the school setting including Provincial COVID-19 Operational Guidance for schools, as well as COVID-19 Outbreak Management Procedures.

As community members may be seeking guidance from their Health Care Providers, we encourage you to refer them to the Back to School Planning: A Guide for Parents, Guardians and Caregivers webpage to help support them in their return to school.

Influenza Season HCP Education Opportunities 

Public Health Ontario Grand Rounds Webinar: 2020-2021 Influenza Season

Tuesday, September 15, 2020 12:00-1:00pm. Register for the webinar here.

Topics to be covered include:

• The 2020 Southern Hemisphere influenza season, and the possible implications for the 2020-21 Northern Hemisphere season
• The products available as part of Ontario’s 2020-21 Universal Influenza Immunization Program, including the cell-culture based influenza vaccine
• COVID-19 related precautions for practitioners providing influenza vaccination
• Influenza treatment and outbreak management in the context of possible co-circulation of influenza, COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses
• The Influenza, COVID-19 and other respiratory virus laboratory testing algorithm at Public Health Ontario laboratories for the 2020-21 season

Save the Date: Influenza Information Session for Healthcare Providers

HPEPH’s annual influenza information session will be held on September 30, 2020. Stay tuned for more information.

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HPEPH is gradually reopening to the public and is presently offering services by appointment only. We remain dedicated to protecting our community by providing local HCPs and community members 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.

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

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