Yes. The following information is from Directive #5 for Hospitals and Long-Term Care Homes:
• A point-of-care risk assessment (PCRA) must be performed by every regulated health professional before every patient or resident interaction in a public hospital or long-term care home.
• At a minimum, for regulated health professionals and other health care workers in a hospital or a long-term care home, Droplet and Contact Precautions must be used by regulated health professionals and other health care workers for all interactions with suspected, probable or confirmed COVID-19 patients or residents. Droplet and Contact Precautions include gloves, face shields or goggles, gowns, and a well-fitted surgical/procedure masks.
• Additionally, as an interim precaution in light of the uncertainty around the mechanisms of transmission of the COVID-19 Omicron variant of concern (B.1.1.529), required precautions for all health care workers providing direct care to or interacting with a suspected, probable (i.e. placed in precautions as high risk contact, in an outbreak zone of the facility or recently transferred from a facility in outbreak) or confirmed cases of COVID-19 are a fit-tested, seal-checked N95 respirator (or approved equivalent), eye protection (goggles or face shield), gown and gloves.
• All regulated health professionals and health care workers providing direct care to or interacting with suspected, probable or confirmed COVID-19 patients or residents shall have access to appropriate PPE. This will include access to: surgical/procedure masks, fit tested, seal-checked N95 respirators (or approved equivalent), gloves, face shields with side protection (or goggles) and appropriate isolation gowns.
• The public hospital or long-term care home will not deny access to a fit-tested, seal-checked N95 respirator (or approved equivalent).
• Fit-tested, seal-checked N95 respirators (or approved equivalent), must be used by all regulated health professionals and health care workers in the room where Aerosol Generating Medical Procedures (AGMPs) are being performed, are frequent or probable.
• AGMPs include but are not limited to; Intubation and related procedures (e.g. manual ventilation, open endotracheal suctioning), cardio pulmonary resuscitation, bronchoscopy, sputum induction, non-invasive ventilation (i.e. BiPAP), open respiratory/airway suctioning, high frequency oscillatory ventilation, tracheostomy care, nebulized therapy/aerosolized medication administration, high flow heated oxygen therapy devices (e.g. ARVO, optiflow) and post-mortem care. Any change to this list is to be based on the Technical Brief "Updated IPAC Recommendations for Use of Personal Protective Equipment for Care of Individuals with Suspect or Confirmed COVID-19" dated December 15, 2021 as amended from time to time which has been prepared by Public Health Ontario.
In accordance with O. Reg 68/20 made under the Retirement Homes Act, retirement homes must take all reasonable steps to follow the required precautions and procedures outlined in this Directive.
Note: As this outbreak evolves, there will be continual review of emerging evidence to understand the most appropriate measures to take. This will continue to be done in collaboration with health system partners and technical experts from Public Health Ontario and within the health system.