Correction: Apologies for the second email but we wanted to correct the record after noticing a typo that could cause confusion. Please see updated text for the Key Federal Updates:
The federal government announced today that all travellers returning home to Canada will now be mandated go into mandatory self-isolation for 14 days according to new measures being enacted under the federal Quarantine Act.(Our previous version had incorrectly said will not be mandated)
Dear ,
Since we released our open
letter yesterday, calling on industry to contribute existing supplies of PPE to the government's supply initiative Ontario Together, we've already received a tremendous response.
We've heard from colleges that have shared their PPE supplies, veterinarians who have donated their PPE and contruction workers who have given their N95 masks to nurses. While we're inspired by the response to date, we know we need to do much much more. This afternoon we issued a press release to call more attention to this important issue and encourage more action by industry.
Key Provincial Updates and Resources for Health Professionals
This afternoon, the province released a new action plan for responding to COVID-19 including a $17B investment to help ensure the health care system, communities and economy are positioned to respond to the impacts of the pandemic.
An overview of
the investments can be found here. The health focused elements include:
A $1.0 billion COVID-19 contingency fund for emerging needs related to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Investing $935 million for the hospital sector, including $594 million to accelerate progress on the government's commitment to address capacity issues, as well as $341 million for an additional 1,000 acute care and 500 critical care beds and additional assessment centres.
Increasing public health funding by $160 million to support COVID-19 monitoring, surveillance, and laboratory and home testing, while also investing in virtual care and Telehealth Ontario.
Investing $243 million for surge capacity in the long-term care sector, as well as funding for 24/7 screening, more staffing to support infection control, and supplies and equipment to help tackle the COVID-19 outbreak.
Investing $75 million to supply personal protective equipment and critical medical supplies to front-line staff to tackle COVID-19.
The province has launched a toll-free line 1-888-444-3659 to provide support to Ontario businesses who have questions about the province's recent emergency order to close at-risk workplaces following recommendations by Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health.
Key Federal Updates The federal government passed a $107B aid package in Ottawa today that will increase access to employment insurance and other programs that will flow money to workers and businesses in need.
The federal government also announced all travellers returning home to Canada will now be mandated go into mandatory self-isolation for 14 days according to new measures being enacted under the federal Quarantine Act.
For more information, we encourage you to visit theGovernment of Canada website.
Daily Reports
As of 10:30AM today, Ontario reported 671 confirmed cases, 8 resolved cases, 9 deaths and 10489 currently under investigation with lab results pending.
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.
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 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