Guidance for health care providers, long-term care homes, retirement homes, and other congregate living settings (COVID-19)
Public Health is focused on supporting outbreak management in highest-risk settings such as hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes, and other congregate living settings and institutions. Across the province, PCR testing is prioritized for high-risk individuals and settings. You can visit our COVID-19 page for information on symptoms, self-isolation, and where to get tested for COVID-19.
On this page:
- Health care workers
- Long-term care homes and retirement homes
- Caregivers and visitors
- Direct communications from Public Health Sudbury & Districts
- Helpful links
Health Care Workers
Self isolation, Exposures, Illness & Testing
Health care workers that have symptoms of COVID-19 and work in any of the highest risk settings must self-isolate (learn how) immediately and notify their employer or occupational health and safety department. Symptomatic health care workers should seek testing (Government of Ontario). Staff awaiting testing should await test results to return to work.
Government of Ontario’s Appendix A: Management of Staffing in Highest Risk Settings from Management of Cases and Contacts of COVID-19 in Ontario provides testing, isolation, and return-to-work guidance for COVID-19 cases and contacts.
Management of critical staffing shortages in highest risk settings
If routine operations cannot be met. Highest risk settings may have staff return to work early in accordance to their agency policy and section 9.2 Options for critical staffing shortages of the Management of Cases and Contacts of COVID-19 in Ontario (Government of Ontario, PDF). If guidance cannot be followed, staff would otherwise be required to self-isolate or otherwise not attend work for 10 days from last exposure.
There are also a number of Ministry of Health guidance documents for health and other sectors available on the Ministry of Health’s website for further information.
Long-term care homes, retirement homes, and other congregate living settings
Long-term care homes, retirement homes, and other congregate living settings must take all reasonable steps to mitigate COVID-19 and follow ministry and sector specific guidance documents. This includes planning for and implementing, to the extent possible, staff and resident cohorting as part of their approach to preparedness, as well as to prevent the spread of COVID-19 once identified in the home. For more information on cohorting and outbreak management, please consult the following resources:
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- COVID-19 Guidance: Long-Term Care Homes, Retirement Homes and Other Congregate Living Settings for Public Health Units
- Cohorting During an Outbreak of COVID-19 in Long-Term Care Homes
- Public Health Ontario: Cohorting in Outbreaks in Congregate Living Settings guidance document
- Management of Cases and Contacts of COVID-19 in Ontario
Direct communications from Public Health Sudbury & Districts
Advisory Alerts and clinical guidance issued by Public Health Sudbury & Districts
Helpful links
Public Health Sudbury & Districts
- Diseases of Public Health Significance
- Daily Surveillance Line Listings (resident & staff)
- Learn more about symptoms and how to protect yourself from COVID-19
- COVID-19 Self-Assessment
Public Health Agency of Canada
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): For health professionals
- Health care provider vaccine tool kit
- Symptoms and risk factors
- Transmission
- Testing and case reporting
- Infection prevention and control
- Treatments
- Guidance
- Training, webinars, and webcasts
Ontario Ministry of Health
Guidance for the health sector
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- Case definition
Guidance documents for:
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- Health Sector Resources
- Long-term Care Home/Retirement Homes Resources
- Symptoms, Screening, and Testing Resources
- Case and Contact Management Resources(PDF)
- Vaccine-Relevant Information and Planning Resources
Public Health Ontario
This item was last modified on November 4, 2024