We know that throughout this crisis, certain sectors across our health system are particularly vulnerable. We saw that in particular thisweekend with stories about the tragic situation at a Long Term Care facility in northern Ontario.
That's why we spend each and every day advocating for nurses and urging the government to take more steps to keep residents and health professionals safe. This morning, our CEO Dianne Martin was on CP24 talking about the devasting toll this pandemic is having on nurses and how we need the government to take more steps to stop the spread of COVID-19 and we need better protection for those on the frontlines. Early this afternoon, we issued an open letter to the Premier and Ministers of Health and Long Term Care to calling for immediate action to better protect residents and staff in long term care and as well as in the community.
We're going to be continuing our fight on your behalf to make sure that Ontario's RPNs like you have the supplies and supports you need to keep Ontarians safe.
Q&A with Dianne Martin Tomorrow, Tuesday March 31st at 8pm, we're hosting a Facebook Live with WeRPN CEO Dianne Martin. We'll be talking about some of the questions we've been hearing from our members and answering any other questions you might have about how to deliver safe
care during this pandemic. We invite you to join us at facebook.com/wearepracticalnurses
Urgent Jobs During COVID-19 Thank you again to all the RPNs who signed up to help meet the growing demand for nurses during COVID-19. To help connect available RPNs with employers, we've launched a COVID-19 Staff Needed section on our website where we will post requests that come our way. Check back regularly for updates.
Protecting your Identity Online While in isolation and spending more time on the internet, something we should all be aware of is protecting our identity. Our partner Johnson Insurance has
shared some useful tips for members.
Key Provincial Updates and Resources for Health Professionals
Precautions for interactions with suspected, presumed or confirmed COVID-19 patients, including relying on the clinical education and training that nurses receive to use their professional and clinical judgement;
Point-of-care risk assessments for every patient interaction to assess appropriate health and safety measures; and
Training
on safe use of all personal protective equipment (PPE).
The Chief Medical Officer of Health issued a statement urging Ontarians to limit non-essential trips outside the house and urged that individuals over 70 years of age self-isolate.
Over the weekend, we also saw a number of
announcements:
A Minister’s Order was issued on Sunday directing health system providers to report PPE inventories on a daily basis to the ministry to optimize the availability of PPE to protect Ontario’s front-line health care providers. The Ontario government also proclaimedthe Supply Chain Management Act to make sure critical supplies, equipment and services can be deployed to where they are needed most.
The government announced Emergency Measures to Support Long-Term Care, that aim to further flexibility for long-term care homes and allow homes to redirect their staffing and financial resources to essential tasks.
The Ontario government also issued a new emergency order under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to prohibit organized public events and social gatherings of more than five people, effective immediately.
Ontario announced updated guidance to limit the spread of COVID-19 on construction sites.
The Ontario government announced new penalties to combat price gouging and hold offenders accountable for raising prices significantly on the necessary goods Ontarians need to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19.
Key Federal Updates Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that businesses and non-profit organizations who experience a 30 per cent in revenue due to COVID-19 will qualify for the government's 75 per cent wage subsidy program. For more information, we encourage you to visit theGovernment of Canada website.
Daily Reports
The Ministry has updated its reporting structure and now provides additional demographic details about the cases. To view these additional details: click here
As of 10:30AM today, Ontario reported 1,706 confirmed cases, 431 resolved cases, 23 deaths and 5,651 currently under investigation with lab results pending.
Click Here to 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 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
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