With COVID-19 cases continuing to reach record highs and the pressure on our health system growing, today WeRPN joined our health colleagues at the Ontario Hospital Association, RNAO, the Ontario Medical Association & the Respiratory Therapy Society of Ontario to issue an urgent plea to Ontarians to do their part and celebrate the holidays safely this year.Read our joint statement.
RPN COVID-19 Survey After months of battling the pandemic, we are seeking insights from the RPN community about how COVID-19 has impacted you and your practice. This data will support the association’s efforts to raise awareness about the issues that matter to RPNs and advocate on their behalf to government and health partners. We hope you will share your experiences with us!
Click here to be directed to the survey. This survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Please submit responses by Friday, December 11, 2020, 11:59 p.m. ET.
Key Provincial Updates and Resources for Health Professionals
Yesterday, Premier Ford and General Hillier announced Ontario’s intent to prioritize the vaccination of vulnerable populations and those who care for these populations, upon the province’s initial receipt of COVID-19 vaccines.
As recommended by the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force, groups to receive early doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will include:
Residents, staff, essential caregivers, and other employees of congregate living settings (such as long-term care and retirement homes) that provide care for seniors;
Health care workers, including hospital employees, other staff who work or study in hospitals, and other health care personnel;
Adults in Indigenous communities, including remote communities where risk of transmission is high; and
Adult recipients of chronic home health care.
Ontario will also prioritize vaccine rollout in regions with the highest rates of COVID-19 infection, including in Red-Control and Lockdown regions.
Yesterday, the Federal government announced that several hundred thousand doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be available in Canada before the end of the year
Today, Canada's chief public health officer said the first doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine are likely to be given only to people who can physically be at one of the 14 delivery sites identified by provincial governments for the first arrivals of the vaccine.
For more information, we encourage you to visit the Government of Canada website.
Daily Reports
As of 10:30AM today, Ontario reported 130,910 confirmed cases (increase of 1,676), 110,951 resolved cases, 3,808 deaths and 40,732 currently under investigation with lab results pending.
The Ministry is also reporting that 794 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19, 219 are in ICU and 132 are vented. To view these additional details:click here
Click Hereto read the latest Ministry of Health Daily Report
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
