COVID-19
Guidance for the Health Sector
| Last reviewed | September 14, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Last updated | September 14, 2021 |
- Case Definition
- How to help
- Travelers from outside of Canada
- Guidance Documents
- COVID-19 Vaccine-Relevant Information and Planning Resources
- For Controlled Drugs and Substances (CDS) prescribers
- Signage
- Related Information
Case Definition
The case definition for COVID-19 has been updated and is current as of May 21, 2021. This information may change frequently, please check back often for updates.
For clinical testing purposes: health professionals who are involved in the assessment and management of possible COVID-19 cases are encouraged to consult Tables 1 and 2 in the daily WHO Situation Report to help inform their decision making.
How to help
We are looking for people with experience in health care who can help us to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19.
Visit our Health Workforce Matching Portal if you're a:
- health care provider working part-time and want to increase your work hours, a former health care provider who is retired or on inactive status, or a health care provider in training and you'd like to be matched to positions and opportunities where services are needed most
- health care facility and would like to request help from available resources
Travelers from outside of Canada:
Anyone who has travelled outside of Canada is required to self-isolate for 14 days upon their arrival back in Canada. Travellers who are fully vaccinated and meet specific requirements may be exempt from quarantine requirements as per federal guidelines. For more information please visit the Government of Canada's website for travel advice and the Ministry of Health website dedicated to coronavirus.
Guidance Documents
Guidance documents on COVID-19 have been produced for a number of health and other sectors.
Note: To the extent that any guidance document conflicts with a Directive issued by the Chief Medical Officer of Health under s. 77.7 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act, the Directive prevails.
Health Sector Resources
| Document title | Date |
|---|---|
| Gatherings, Ethno-Cultural, Festive Occasions, and Other Events | November 25, 2020 |
| COVID-19 Operational Requirements: Health Sector Restart | June 15, 2020 |
| Infection Prevention and Control Hubs | November 10, 2020 |
| Guidance for Acute Care | June 15, 2020 |
| Guidance for Community Labs and Specimen Collection Centres | March 29, 2020 |
| Guidance for Community Pharmacies | June 19, 2020 |
| Guidance for Consumption and Treatment Services | April 16, 2020 |
| Guidance for Home and Community Care Providers | May 21, 2021 |
| Guidance for Hospice Care | November 12, 2020 |
| Guidance for Independent Health Facilities | June 19, 2020 |
| Guidance for Labour, Delivery and Newborn Care | November 10, 2020 |
| Guidance for Mental Health and Addictions Service Providers in Community Settings | September 24, 2020 |
| Guidance for Paramedic Services | October 1, 2020 |
| Guidance for Primary Care Providers in a Community Setting | July 28, 2021 |
| Guidance for Immunization Services During COVID-19 | August 25, 2020 |
Long-Term Care Home / Retirement Homes Resources
| Document title | Date |
|---|---|
| RHRA Recommendation for Asymptomatic COVID-19 Testing for Retirement Homes | July 16, 2021 |
| COVID-19 Guidance: Long-Term Care Homes and Retirement Homes for Public Health Units | July 23, 2021 |
| Screening Tool for Long-Term Care Homes and Retirement Homes | August 27, 2021 |
| Guidance for mask use in long- term care homes and retirement homes | April 15, 2020 |
| Retirement Homes Policy to Implement Directive #3 | July 16, 2021 |
| COVID-19 Test Requisition | June 12, 2020 |
| COVID-19 Surveillance Testing – Guidance Regarding Retirement Homes Staff and Resident Testing | June 12, 2020 |
| COVID-19: Visiting Long-Term Care Homes | October 5, 2020 |
Symptoms, Screening, and Testing Resources
| Document title | Date |
|---|---|
| Guidance for Employers Managing Workers with Symptoms within 48 Hours of COVID-19 Immunization | September 8, 2021 |
| COVID-19 Provincial Testing Guidance | August 25, 2021 |
| Guidance on Testing of Asymptomatic Persons in Pharmacies | November 9, 2020 |
| COVID-19 Quick Reference Public Health Guidance on Testing and Clearance | September 14, 2021 |
| Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Testing - PHO | April 18, 2020 |
| Considerations for Privately-Initiated Testing | May 21, 2021 |
| Considerations for Antigen Point-of-Care Testing | August 25, 2021 |
| Point-of-Care Testing Use Case Guidance | August 25, 2021 |
| COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms | August 26, 2021 |
| COVID-19 Patient Screening Guidance Document | August 26, 2021 |
| COVID-19 Screening Tool for Workplaces (Customer screening) | August 27, 2021 |
| COVID-19 Screening Tool for Workplaces (Worker and employee screening) | August 27, 2021 |
| COVID-19 Signage Questions for Businesses and Organizations | August 25, 2021 |
Case and Contact Management Resources
Mental Health Resources
| Document title | Date |
|---|---|
| Mental Health Resources for Camp Operators | July 13, 2021 |
| Talking to Children About the Pandemic | March 28, 2020 |
| Resources for Ontarians Experiencing Mental Health and Addictions Issues During the Pandemic | April 3, 2020 |
Guidance for Other Sectors
| Document title | Date |
|---|---|
| Proof of Vaccination Guidance for Businesses and Organizations under the Reopening Ontario Act – Questions and Answers |
September 14, 2021 |
| COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for: Overnight Camps | August 12, 2021 |
| A Guide to Starting a Home-based Food Business | December 24, 2020 |
| COVID-19 Guidance: School Outbreak Management | August 11, 2021 |
| Guidance on Community Emergency Evacuations | July 6, 2021 |
| COVID-19 Guidance: Congregate Living for Vulnerable Populations | May 28, 2020 |
| COVID-19 Guidance Documents for Provincial Correctional Institutions | July 2020 |
| Guidance for Funeral and Bereavement Services | March 29, 2020 |
| COVID-19 Advice: Religious Services, Rites or Ceremonies | August 21, 2020 |
| Guidance for Temporary Foreign Workers | March 31, 2020 |
| COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for: Day Camps | July 15, 2021 |
| COVID-19 Guidance: Workplace Outbreaks | June 11, 2020 |
| COVID-19 Guidance: On-Farm Outbreak Management | September 21, 2020 |
For Controlled Drugs and Substances (CDS) prescribers
Health Canada is moving forward with regulatory exemptions to improve pharmacological and therapeutic options for allowing patients to access controlled medications during the COVID-19.
Health Canada Exemption and Interpretive Guide for Controlled Substances.
Signage
The following signage has been created for health care settings.
| Document title | Date |
|---|---|
| Patients - English | August 26, 2021 |
| Patients - French | August 26, 2021 |
| Visitors - English | August 26, 2021 |
| Visitors - French | August 26, 2021 |
Related Information
Ontario.ca/COVID-19
Contacting your Public Health Unit
What we know so far - PHO
Government of Canada COVID-19 Outbreak update
Telehealth Ontario: 1-866-797-0000
Public Information
