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Ministry Status: Activation Status

Minister's Directive: COVID-19: Supporting Long-Term Care Homes

Effective April 24, 2020

The Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007 (Act) authorizes the Minister of Long-Term Care to issue operational or policy directives respecting long-term care homes where the Minister considers it in the public interest to do so. Every licensee shall carry out every operational or policy directive that applies to the long-term care home.

An emergency was declared pursuant to Order in Council 518/2020 (Ontario Regulation 50/20) on March 17, 2020 at 7:30 a.m. Toronto time pursuant to section 7.0.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) and has been extended pursuant to section 7.0.7 of the EMCPA. This Directive shall be in effect for the duration of the declared emergency, including any extensions.

Definitions

All terms in this Directive have the same meaning as under the Act and Ontario Regulation 79/10 under the Act, unless otherwise defined.

The following definitions apply for the purpose of this Directive:

Public hospital means a hospital within the meaning of the Public Hospitals Act.

Long-term care home in outbreak means a long-term care home as defined under subsection 2(1) of the Act and that has a confirmed respiratory outbreak in the home of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in accordance with Directive# 3 for Long-Term Care Homes under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007, issued by the Chief Medical Officer of Health under section 77.7 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act (as amended from time to time).

Ontario Health means the corporation continued under section 3 of the Connecting Care Act, 2019

Effective April 24, 2020, I hereby issue the following Directive with respect to every long-term care home in outbreak:

A. Cooperation with Ontario Health

  1. Every licensee of a long-term care home in outbreak shall participate in any discussions requested by Ontario Health to consider the need for assistance and shall cooperate with Ontario Health.

B. Entry to Long-Term Care Homes

  1. Every licensee of a long-term care home in outbreak shall ensure that all required staff deemed necessary by a public hospital, including members of an Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) team, are permitted entry to the long-term care home to provide assistance. This assistance, includes, but is not limited to, assessments in relation to a home's IPAC program, clinical supervision, and nursing and personal support services, including assistance with feeding residents of the long-term care home, in order to address the outbreak of COVID-19 in the long-term care home.

  2. Every licensee of a long-term care home in outbreak shall ensure that all required staff or other personnel deemed necessary by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces or other federal organizations as may be identified by the Minister of Long-Term Care (Ontario) are permitted entry to the long-term care home to provide assistance. This assistance includes, but is not limited to, providing humanitarian relief, operational support and medical support to long-term care homes, including medical care of residents of the long-term care home, in order to address the outbreak of COVID-19 in the long-term care home. The licensee must work collaboratively with these staff or other personnel.

C. Implementing Assistance

  1. Every licensee of a long-term care home in outbreak shall ensure that staff of the long-term care home take the direction of public hospital supervisory and management staff as it relates to assessments in relation to the home's IPAC program, clinical supervision, and nursing and personal support services, including assistance with feeding residents of the long-term care home. This includes completing all directed activities in a timely and professional manner.

  2. Every licensee of a long-term care home in outbreak, including staff of the long-term care home, shall not hinder or obstruct public hospital staff, including members of an IPAC team, or staff or other personnel of the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces or other federal organizations as may be identified by the Minister of Long-Term Care (Ontario) from providing guidance or assistance to the long-term care home.

 

For More Information

Call ServiceOntario, Infoline at:
1–866–532–3161 (Toll–free)
In Toronto, (416) 314–5518
TTY 1–800–387–5559.
In Toronto, TTY (416)327–4282
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm

 
 
 
 
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