COVID-19 Health System Response Materials

For news on the current status of COVID-19 in Ontario and health care guidelines, visit the Government of Ontario, the Public Health Ontario and the Government of Canada websites.

Critical Care

Resources developed by the critical care command table to support decision-making during COVID-19.

• Critical Care Command Table backgrounder (April 21, 2020)
• Recommendations for managing critical care drug shortages (March 23, 2020)

Health Services During COVID-19 Waves

The first wave of COVID-19 in Ontario brought delays to health care delivery. The following recommendations outline how health care providers can continue to provide care for patients & clients through future waves.

• Memo: Refreshed recommendations on optimizing care (October 8, 2021)
• Memo: Fall Preparedness (August 30, 2021)
• Memo #2: Gradual resumption of non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures (June 3, 2021)
• Memo #1: Gradual resumption of non-emergent and non-urgent surgeries and procedures (May 19, 2021)
• Memo: Province Launches New Ontario Patient Transfer System (May 7, 2021)
• Memo to hospitals: Transfers from hospitals to long-term care homes during major surge (April 28, 2021)
• Memo: Health system recovery (March 4, 2021) 
• Memo to hospitals: Further actions for optimizing care for all patients (January 7, 2021)
• Recommendations for optimizing care through COVID-19 transmission scenarios (October 1, 2020)
  • Quick reference goals and recommendations for each COVID-19 transmission scenario (November 2, 2020)

Hospitals scheduling surgeries and procedures

• Memo to hospitals: COVID-19 response (May 4, 2021)
• Recommendations to Sustain Diagnostic Imaging Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic (September 11, 2020)
• Memo: Ramp down of elective surgeries and non-emergent/non-urgent acute care activities (April 8, 2021)
• Creation of Regional Hospital Incident Management Systems (November 16, 2020)
• Optimizing elective surgery: Virtual care supports in the COVID-19 context (June 18, 2020)
• Providing local virtual access to emergency services (June 18, 2020)
• A measured approach to planning for surgeries and procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic (Revised June 15, 2020)

Outpatient, primary care, and home and community care settings

• Guidance on the navigation of patients with influenza-like illness (October 6, 2021)
• Resource toolkit: COVID@Home Monitoring for Primary Care
  • Implementing home monitoring for COVID-19 patients through primary care (March 17, 2021)
  • Questions to ask your oxygen provider (March 17, 2021)

Cancer care

• Supplemental clinical guidance for patients with cancer (March 29, 2020)
• Pandemic planning clinical guideline for patients with cancer (March 10, 2020)

Chronic kidney disease

• Supplemental clinical guidance for patients with chronic kidney disease (March 27, 2020)
• Pandemic planning and clinical guideline for patients with chronic kidney disease (March 9, 2020)

Palliative care

• Resources to support frontline providers (April 20, 2020)
• Symptom management for adult patients with COVID-19 receiving end-of-life supportive care outside of the ICU (April 9, 2020)
• Planning for palliative care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 24, 2020)

Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes

Resources for homes adjusting care delivery and processes during COVID-19.

• Virtual care supports for long-term care homes (August 3, 2021)
  • Resources to help support the use of virtual care

Personal Protective Equipment

Recommendations based on the best available evidence on how and when to use personal protective equipment in health care settings.

• Recommendations on optimizing personal protective equipment  (Archived September 1, 2021)

Provincial Antigen Screening Program

Provincial Antigen Screening Program

• Businesses and organizations are encouraged to participate in the program by registering at ontario.ca/testingonsite.
• The resources below provide planning and implementation guidance for organizations conducting on-site screening for COVID-19 as part of the Provincial Antigen Screening Program.
• If you are new to the program, we suggest you review the “Overview of the Provincial Antigen Screening Program” video or deck below and the COVID-19 Provincial Antigen Screening Program Onboarding Guide
• If you have questions, contact covid19testing@ontariohealth.ca.

Overview of Antigen Screening

How to set-up an antigen screening program on-site and/or at home

• COVID-19 Provincial Antigen Screening Program Onboarding Guide
• Overview of the Provincial Antigen Screening Program Training video
• Overview of the Provincial Antigen Screening Program Presentation deck
• Ministry of Health Guidance document: Considerations for Antigen Point-of-Care Testing

Best practises for rapid antigen screening

Describes best practices for antigen screening, including facilities, equipment, and occupational health and safety measures.

• Best Practices for Point-of-Care Testing Training video
• Training Module: Best Practices for Point-of-Care Testing Presentation deck
• Rapid antigen screening must be used in accordance with the guidance directed by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Swabbing/Specimen Collection and Screening Resources

Reviews the types of swabs used in antigen testing, acceptable specimen collection methods and demonstrates how to collect specimens.

• Types of Specimen Collection
• How to perform self-swabbing (including self-swabbing at home)
• Training Video: Self-Collection for COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Testing

Resources by Test Type

Panbio

• How to use Panbio test kit on-site
• How to use Panbio Test kit at home
• How to make Panbio mini kits

BD Veritor

• The BD Veritor^TM System for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2
• How to use BD Veritor test on-site
• How to use BD Veritor test at home
• How to make BD Veritor mini kits

BTNX Rapid Response

• How to use BTNX Rapid Response at home
• How to make BTNX mini kits

Roche Biosensor (coming soon)

Documenting and Reporting Results

• Demonstrates how to enter results in the Health Data Collection Service
  • Note: sites receiving tests from a local chamber of commerce should follow reporting requirements provided to them by their chamber.
• Documenting and Reporting Results Training video
• Training Module: Documenting and Reporting Results through the Health Data Collection Service Presentation deck
• Rapid test results tracker for manual tracking of results

Diagnostic (PCR) Testing

Recommendations to support the health system aligning with Ontario’s COVID-19 testing guidelines.

Updates on Provincial Testing, Assessment Centres and Lab Network

• Progress made on COVID-19 specimen collection and lab-analysis (December 4, 2020)
• Progress made on COVID-19 specimen collection and lab-analysis (November 6, 2020)
• Progress made on COVID-19 specimen collection and lab-analysis (October 9, 2020)
• Progress made on COVID-19 specimen collection and lab-analysis (May 28, 2020)

COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Testing

• Testing Swabs: Preferred Specimen Collection Methods (Updated June 30, 2021)

Recommendations for COVID-19 Assessment Centres

• Recommendations for COVID-19 Assessment Centres (Updated July 7, 2021)

Resources to support expansion of lab-based PCR testing in pharmacies

• Pubic Health Ontario presentation deck - Lab-Based COVID-19 Testing for Pharmacies

Health System Response Table Updates

Updates on activities and progress as the health system responds to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Update #9 (April 22, 2021)
• Update #8 (February 3, 2021)
• Update #7 (August 18, 2020)
• Update #6 (July 9, 2020)
• Update #5 (June 22, 2020)
• Update #4 (May 16, 2020)
• Update #3 (April 29, 2020)
• Update #2 (April 22, 2020)
• Update #1 (April 8, 2020)

Virtual Care

Get access to online and telephone services that have been expanded during the pandemic.

• Virtual Care Maturity Model (November 4, 2021)
• Virtual care supports for long-term care homes (August 3, 2021)
  • Resources to help support the use of virtual care
• Mental health and addictions services: Tools from OTN (August 31, 2020)
• Elective surgery: Tools from OTN (June 18, 2020)
• Emergency services: Tools from OTN (June 18, 2020)
• Remote Care Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Nov 11, 2020)