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 (March 23, 2020)
• Recommendations for managing critical care drug shortages (April 21, 2020)

Health Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Recommendations and resources outlining how health care providers can continue to provide care for patients & clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 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)
• Recommendations to Sustain Diagnostic Imaging Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic (September 11, 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

• Memo to primary care – Supports for the Fall/Winter Respiratory Illness Season (October 13, 2023)
• Post COVID-19 Condition: Guidance for Primary Care (December 2022)
• 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

• Pandemic planning clinical guideline for patients with cancer (December 23, 2021)
• Supplemental clinical guidance for patients with cancer (December 23, 2021)
• Supplemental clinical guidance for patients with breast cancer (April 25, 2020)

Cardiac, stroke and vascular care

• CorHealth Documents (COVID-19 Guidance Memos)

Chronic kidney disease

• Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) use in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease and patients on dialysis with COVID-19 (April 13, 2022)
• 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

Updated Long-Term Care Home (LTCH) and Retirement Home (RH) Guidance Webinar Series - Tuesday, February 8, 2022

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

Rapid Antigen Testing

• Businesses and organizations are encouraged to participate in the Provincial Antigen Screening 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 COVID-19 Provincial Antigen Screening Program Onboarding Guide
• Ensure testing is done in accordance with provincial COVID-19 Provincial Testing Guidance
• If you have questions, contact covid19testing@ontariohealth.ca.

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
• Training Video: Lab-Based COVID-19 Testing for Pharmacies

Expiry extensions for COVID-19 testing products

Collection of Health Canada, Ontario Health, and product vendor letters outlining current expiry extensions for COVID-19 testing products being used in Ontario.

Rapid Testing Products

• BD Veritor
• ID Now
• Panbio
• Roche Diagnostics
• BTNX

Lab-based PCR products

• Microbix
• Yocon
• Roche Diagnostics
• Copan

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)