Today on January 12, 2021, the Government of Ontario declared a second provincial emergency under s 7.0.1 (1) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMPCA) in response to increasing of COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks.
Effective Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 12:01 a.m., Ontario is issuing a stay-at-home order requiring everyone to remain at home with exceptions for essential purposes, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services, for exercise or for essential work.
Impact to Occupational Therapists
There is no change to Directive 2 at this time. No further restrictions on occupational therapy practice have been announced to date. Occupational therapists and other regulated health professionals may continue to operate, consistent with current guidelines for regulated health professionals. See the College's Return to Work Guidance for OTs.
Occupational therapists are reminded to continue to adhere to requirements of provincial Directive 2 and the accompanying COVID-19 Operational Requirements: Health Sector Restart for guiding principles when making decisions about service delivery.
Directive 2 requires that health care providers continue to monitor COVID-19 spread in their community and when choosing service delivery models (in-person, virtual or modified services). To obtain this information, occupational therapists can use data sources including:
As a reminder, virtual services are recommended when appropriate. If in-person services are required, occupational therapists need to wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times. Continued adherence with all public health measures, including handwashing, masking and physical distancing, is expected when at work and in the community.
Information on COVID-19 Vaccinations
The College is currently monitoring the provincial roll-out of COVID-19 vaccinations and will keep occupational therapists updated as new information and resources become available.
We encourage occupational therapists to review the Government of Ontario's COVID-19 vaccines for Ontario web page for information about the province's vaccine distribution implementation plan, vaccine safety, and more.
There are additional resources and documents about vaccines on the College's dedicated COVID-19 web page under the "Vaccine Information" section, including the recently released Guidance for Prioritizing Health Care Workers for COVID-19 Vaccination.
If you have any questions, please contact our Practice team at [email protected] or 1-800-890-6570 ext. 240.