Please see the following release from Keith Beecroft, Public Health Promoter at Peterborough Public Health, shared on Friday, March 11:
“Good afternoon everyone –
We hope that your Friday is off to an uneventful start and the prospect of a restful weekend is on the horizon for you.
Before jumping into the updates, we wanted to share some resources that our friends at Ottawa Public Health have developed. To say this period of change brings many emotions for many people is likely an understatement – and we want to remind you that whatever you are feeling is normal. There are some great tools here so that you can support your staff (and each other) through these changes. Mental health is health.
Working Towards Recovery: Workplace Health and Wellness Guide
New case, contact, testing, and outbreak management guidance
- As of this week, there is new exposure and isolation guidance; what to do if you have symptoms or been exposed to someone with symptoms.
- COVID-19 Integrated Testing & Case, Contact and Outbreak Management Interim Guidance: Omicron Surge V3 is the most current that you can refer to. Page 15 and 19 have very helpful flow charts.
- Receiving a booster dose negates the need to self-isolate if the person you are living with has symptoms (ensuring you have a workplace vaccination policy for your staff that requires three doses of an mRNA vaccine can help reduce absenteeism)
- Updated isolation recommendations for household members of COVID-19 cases/symptomatic individuals (page 16)
- Updated isolation recommendations for close contacts (page 17)
Upcoming changes to COVID-19 provincial orders and requirements
- This week the Chief Medical Officer of Health announced a gradual move away from emergency measures and resuming operations. This includes a move away from a reliance on provincial direction through mandatory requirements.
- This means that as of March 21, the province has announced that masking requirements in most places (including schools) will be removed. However, masking will still be required for public transit, long-term case, retirement homes, and other health-care settings, congregate care settings, shelters, jails and congregate care and living settings, including homes for individuals with developmental disabilities.
- Also, on March 21, all other measures in effect for businesses will be removed, including passive screening and safety plans.
- For further details and timelines, click here.
Next Steps:
Our webpages are presently being updated and we are working on our COVID-19 prevention messages following March 21st. In the meantime, please feel free to refer to the provincial webpages that have been updated with the most current guidance:
- Living with and Managing COVID-19 – includes descriptions of what will come next and timelines
- COVID-19: Stop the spread – individual prevention measures
- What to do if you’ve been exposed to COVID-19 – new exposure and isolation guidance
- COVID-19 public health measures and advice – an overview of the current ‘rules’
….All that to say – thank you! And as always – please be in touch of there is anything we can help with!
Warmly,
Keith”