Last week, we let you know that the provincial
government had announced plans to temporarily increase in wages for PSWs. We know that RPNs appreciate the vital role that PSWs play and believe they should be compensated fairly for this important work. At the same time, this policy has left RPNs feeling un-supported. We are engaging with the government on this topic. Read our letter to the Premier and Minister of Health.
Key Provincial Updates and Resources for Health Professionals The province has updated its visitor policy to address areas where there is higher community spread of COVID-19. Starting Wednesday, October 7, 2020, general visitors will not be allowed in long-term care homes in the following communities. Only essential visitors, including up to one caregiver per resident, will be allowed to visit. If the home is experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 the local public health unit will provide direction on further visitor
restrictions and other measures.
As of today, these are the communities where the visitor restrictions will apply:
City of Ottawa
Region of Peel
City of Toronto
The Government has also updated Directive #5that applies to public hospitals, long-term care homes and retirement homes. This updated Directive enhances required health and safety precautions in these settings in order to reduce the risks to patients and workers associated with the second wave of COVID-19. It applies to regulated health professionals (e.g. nurses) and health care workers (e.g. PSWs) and will ensure that higher forms of precautions (i.e., N95 respirators) are available when needed.
Yesterday, Premier Ford and Minister Lecce announced an allocation of $35 million to provide additional COVID-19 supports for school boards in the “hotspot” regions of Peel, Ottawa, Toronto, and York.
The funding may be used to support increased distancing between students, through the hiring of additional teachers, early childhood educators, and educational assistants to enable smaller class sizes. Funding may also be used to provide additional supports for remote learning, such as hiring educators for remote learning, or purchasing devices for students who have chosen to learn remotely.
Late last week, the governmentannounced the tightening of public health measures in Ontario. New measures being implemented include steps to improve the process and reduce the backlog of COVID-19 testing in the
province, province-wide mandatory masking in public indoor settings, and targeted measures for the hotspot regions of Toronto, Peel and Ottawa.
In addition, the government is recommending that all Ontarians limit close contact with anyone outside of their immediate household.
Today, Health Canada approved another rapid COVID-19 test — the first antigen device to receive the necessary approvals for use in this country.
For more information, we encourage you to visit the Government of Canada website.
Daily
Reports
As of 10:30AM today, Ontario reported 55,362 confirmed cases (increase of 548), 46,906 resolved cases, 2,987 deaths and 55,483 currently under investigation with lab results pending.
The Ministry is also reporting that 192 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19, 41 are in ICU and 26 are vented. To view these additional details: click here
Click Hereto read the latest Ministry of Health Daily Report **Please note, these reports are intended for health professionals only and we request that you not share this with the public.
World Health Organization Situation Reports are also available here
In the News For an interactive map tracking all cases across Canada and internationally, click here
Below are some key stories from today that may be of interest to our members:
We encourage RPNs looking for employment opportunities to sign up on all the platforms noted above.
We will continue to monitor this situation and keep you updated as more information becomes available. Thank you for the important work that you're doing and the sacrifices you're making to keep Ontarians safe. We appreciate everything that you're doing each and every day.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Tiff Blair at tblair@werpn.com
Sincerely,
WeRPN Team
WeRPN 5025 Orbitor Drive Building 5, Suite 200 Mississauga, Ontario L4W 4Y5
