We are operating in uncertain times with the COVID-19 situation changing hour by hour. As frontline nurses, we want to ensure that you have access to the latest information. That's why beginning today, we will be increasing the frequency of our COVID-19 updates to share important information that is of interest to health professionals. As this situation continues to evolve, we will be sure to keep you informed as much as possible.
Recruitment of Nurses As COVID-19 continues to spread, we anticipate a growing demand for nurses to support the ongoing needs of Ontarians. We are working with the government to determine how RPNs can best be deployed to support this work.
We are asking RPNs who may be interested in supporting additional collective efforts respond to COVID-19 to please complete this survey. We are also consulting with the College of Nurses about reistating registrations for RPN who are retired or non-practicing. We will be in touch once we have further clarity/
Key Updates and Resources for Health Professionals The provincial government has made several announcements related to COVID-19.
Last night, the Ministry of Heath issued a new memo to Ontario health and hospitals to wind down elective surgeries and other non-emergent activities to preserve capacity as cases of COVID-19 continue to grow in Ontario.
The Minister of Health and the Minister of Long Term Care released a statement advising long-term care homes to only allow essential visitors—people visiting residents who are very ill or require end-of-life care—until further notice.
This afternoon, we saw the Federal government introduce new measures to restrict the spread of the virus, including barring travellers with symptoms from boarding flights and banning entry from travellers who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents Some notable exceptions apply for air crew, diplomats and American citizens. The government also introduced new screening mechanisms at airports, will now be requesting all travellers from other countries to self isolate for 14 days and encouraging the public to stay home.
We will continue to 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 your commitment!
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