COVID-19 GGH Update April 26

How to give feedback

Speak to your manager or director
Ask your leader to bring forward an idea or concern to the COVID-19 Incident Management Team
covidquestions@gghorg.ca
What’s on your mind? (only works if you’re within the hospital)

Click to the section you want to read

Action/must read (1)
What’s New? (1)
Resources and Supplies (0)
Staff Support (0)
Policy Changes (0)

Starting with the positive…

This cutie is the daughter of our Director of Strategy and Improvement, Lisa Bellon who wrote, “she really wanted to acknowledge everyone but especially the screeners at the front door who make sure her Mom is well and safe to be at work.”.

Reporting on COVID-19 activity in staff and patients*

*Friday’s figures

Total number of staff tested to date	218
Total number of staff with a negative test result to date	180
Current number of staff with a positive test	13
Number of staff results pending	9
Number of staff who tested positive and are now recovered	16
Total number of staff with a positive test result to date	29
Number of current in-patients who have tested positive	9

back to top

Action/Must read

Redeployment to Long-Term Care Homes
On April 25, the Ontario government introduced an Emergency Order to facilitate hospitals to partner with area Long-Term Care (LTC) homes during a LTC home’s urgent need for Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) and staffing (please find attached the Order and an FAQ prepared by the government). We want to share with you what we understand to date. However, we anticipate further information and possible changes to our current understanding. We will share with you further information when received. For now, the information received includes:

LTC homes will be identified that have critical staffing needs as well as IPAC needs. Currently, as part of the Guelph & Area Ontario Health Team, we have already reached out to the Guelph Long Term care and Retirement homes to provide support proactively.
Hospitals that assist a LTC home will take reasonable necessary measures to ensure the safe and efficient deployment of their staff to a LTC home.
Before a hospital employee is assigned to a LTC home, our IPAC will assess the LTC home and support our staff while working in the LTC home. An occupational health and safety risk assessment will also be conducted at the LTC home by our health and safety staff.
An employee assigned to a LTC home will remain an employee of the hospital, their respective collective agreement will apply. The employee will be paid their current hourly rate regardless of their role in the LTC home.
An employee assigned to a LTC home can only work at one LTC home at a time.
The government has indicated emergency funds will be provided to allow for full-time hours at a LTC home.
The government has indicated it will prioritize PPE distribution to the LTC home which will assure hospital employees there will be appropriate health and safety precautions, PPE, at the LTC home.
An employee redeployed to a LTC home will not be restricted to return to work at the hospital (subject to proper screening requirements). Further information will follow as it is received.

What’s new?

Government announces pandemic pay premium
To provide additional support for eligible frontline workers fighting COVID-19, yesterday, the Ontario government announced that it is providing a temporary pandemic pay of $4/hour worked on top of their regular wages. In addition, the government will be providing monthly lump sum payments of $250 for four months to eligible frontline workers who work over 100 hours per month. The pandemic pay will be effective for 16 weeks, from April 24, 2020 until August 13, 2020. More details about how this applies to hospital workers will be shared as they become available.