BACKGROUND

The Georgian Bay COVID-19 Assessment Centre is located in two locations:

1. Located at 490 Ontario Street in the back parking lot at the Royal Canadian Legion, Collingwood. Please use the Ontario Street entrance into the back parking lot, NOT the Erie Street Entrance.
2. At the Wasaga Beach RecPlex, 1724 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach.

The main objectives of this initiative include:

• Ensuring timely access to an assessment that is appropriate to level of reported symptoms
• Ensuring the protection of the most vulnerable population, as identified by Public Health
• Ensuring the protection of Healthcare Workers and facilitating return to work
• Optimizing the use of limited PPE resources and testing supplies
• Facilitate and better coordinate follow-up care – either to primary care or the ED

CENTRE INFORMATION

• Hours of Operation – 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday and Saturdays 9 am to 3 pm.
• Opened to the Public on March 18, 2020
• Shifts available for clinical staff in 4 hour block minimums – with flexibility to select your preferred dates using the EMR appointments under “COVID-19 Assessment Centre (CAC)”
• The COVID-19 Toolbar includes the screening form, a treatment form – which includes a link for the Public Health requisition for the COVID-19 test and the ability to send a referral to the assessment centre and the CAC assessment form which includes a link to the Public Health Reporting form.

SUPPORTS WITHIN THE CENTRE

• Receptionist answering the phone and screening self-referrals before scheduling a phone call for the NP/Physician.
• Personal Protection Equipment Provided (separate Donning/doffing areas).
• Desk with Phone, Computer, and EMR access, Sat monitor, etc.

Located in the back parking lot at the Royal Canadian Legion, Collingwood (please use the Erie Street Entrance into the back parking lot, NOT Ontario Street Entrance) or the Wasaga Beach RecPlex, 1724 Mosley Street, Wasaga Beach.

Community members with potential COVID-19 symptoms (e.g. fever, new or worsening cough, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, runny nose and joint aches) who feel they need to be assessed for COVID-19 should do the self assessment provided by the Ministry of Health. With this tool the patients will be screened for travel and contact history and symptoms, and guided to self-monitor, self-isolate at home, contact their primary care provider (who may recommend they come to the centre for an assessment), or go to the Emergency Department.

If you have questions about whether you or your child should visit or attend school or get a COVID-19 Assessment please use the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) tool:

• Students/staff/visitors screening tool

COVID TESTING FOR TRAVEL

• The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health has announced COVID-19 testing for outbound international travellers will no longer be funded by the province. Area residents will no longer be able to book a test at the COVID-19 Assessment Centre in Collingwood or Wasaga Beach if the reason for the test is travel.
• The province recommends travellers consult the guidelines of their airline and country of destination and if a test is required, seek the test through a private testing facility or travel clinic. Participating Shoppers Drug Mart and Lifelabs locations are available online or www.lifelabs.com/flyclear.

THE ASSESSMENT CENTRE IS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Registration paths include physicians/NPs, SGBCHC, Public Health or self-referrals. Testing is provided in accordance with up to date PH guidelines. This whole process ensures the right care for patients, supports the important principle of social distancing and prevents unnecessary visits to the Emergency Department.

The test is similar to that of other respiratory illnesses and involves taking a sample from the back of the nasal cavity with a swab. Simcoe Muskoka District Public Health will follow up with those who test positive for COVID-19.

The COVID-19 Assessment Centre is open Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.

BOOK A COVID ASSESSMENT APPOINTMENT CLICK HERE

ACCESSING THE COVID-19 ASSESSMENT CENTRE

The COVID-19 Assessment Centre offers by APPOINTMENT only assessments located in two locations:

1. Collingwood Assessment Centre directions (Please enter from the FRONT of the Legion off Ontario Street and follow the lane way on the right side of the building) GOOGLE MAPS

2. Wasaga Beach Assessment Centre directions GOOGLE MAPS

 If you require urgent care, please visit an Emergency Department or call 911 and inform them of your travel and contact history and symptoms.

Submitted by Dr. Harry O’Halloran

August 25th, 2020

• SickKids COVID Decision Making Algorithm CLICK HERE

• SickKids Emergency Department Decision Making for COVID CLICK HERE

• SickKids ED Assessment of COVID-associated hyperinflammation/Kawasaki Disease CLICK HERE

March 25, 2020

• VitalTalk – To health care professionals everywhere: these are unprecedented times. There’s no road map. We’re facing conversations that we never expected—or wanted—to have. In that spirit, we’ve crowd sourced this little playbook to provide some practical advice on how to talk about some difficult topics related to COVID-19. CLICK HERE
• Article – Keeping the Corona Virus from Infecting HealthCare Workers CLICK HERE

Submitted by Dr. Jennifer Young

June 15, 2020

• Breast Cancer Survivorship Tool – This tool presents evidence-based standard-of-care recommendations for breast cancer patients following adjuvant therapy. The tool is designed to be used by both patients and primary care providers. The tool is broken down into 4 steps CLICK HERE
• Know your patient
• Cancer surveillance
• Management of long-term side effects of treatment
• health promotion

Submitted by Dr. Mark Quigg

April 7, 2020

• Covid Critical Care – Medical Management of Patients Under Investigation for COVID-19 or Confirmed COVID-19 from William Osler Health System. CLICK HERE

Current Links to Key Information: Public Health, Ministry of Health, OCFP, Government of Canada, Centre for Effective Practice (CEP)

PHO microbiologists are available and can be reached at 416-235-6556 / 1-877-604-4567 for advice and support or via the after-hours emergency duty officer at (416) 605-3113.

• OntarioMD and OMA Virtual Care: COVID-19 Guide
• OntarioMD info on Virtual Care options in EMRs.
• List of COVID-19 sanitizing agents, Public Health Ontario synopsis regarding routes of transmission
• Extensive and easy to use OCFP Tips for Family Doctors
• How to video on nasopharyngeal swabs.

Links Issued by AFHTO on September 21st, 2021.

• Pfizer announces that their vaccine for 5–11-year-olds is safe and provides a strong immune response– Sep. 20, 2021
•  Keeping our kids safe at school, new IPAC guidance, and more video and materials– OCFP COVID-19 CoP, Sep. 17, 2021
•  Ministry of Health updates:
• COVID-19 Vaccine Third Dose Recommendations– Sep. 20, 2021
• COVID-19 Fully Vaccinated Status in Ontario
• Medical Exemptions to COVID-19 Vaccination – Sep. 14, 2021
• Sample medical exemption template– Sep. 20, 2021
• COVID-19 Quick Reference Public Health Guidance on Testing and Clearance – Sep. 14, 2021
• COVID-19 Guidance for Individuals Vaccinated Outside of Ontario/Canada
• COVID-19 Vaccine Information Sheet– Sep. 15, 2021
• COVID-19 Vaccine Information Sheet for Youth– Sep. 15, 2021

• Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and Ministry situation reports (please note that the Ministry Situation Reports on COVID-19 are posted daily so review them to better understand the provincial response)
• COVID-19 Vaccination Information
• COVID-19 information for Patients, Caregivers and the Public
• Infection control resources and tools for primary care
• Management and operations, human resources and COVID-19
• Mental health and wellness during COVID-19
• Providing Comprehensive Care During COVID-19
• Resources for Re-opening
• Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19

Links Issued by AFHTO on February 9th.

• COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Sheet – EN and FR– Ministry of Health, Jan. 29, 2021
• Updated tip sheet for primary care providers resuming cancer screening– streamlined version- Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), Feb. 4, 2021
• February 6th Update on COVID-19 Vaccination Roll Out– AFHTO, Feb. 6, 2021
• Videos from our own members including STAR FHT’s Dr. Sean Blaine, Wawa FHT’s Drs Jami Shaffaf and Sean Robinson, and Parry Sound FHT’s Dr. Prichard
• COVID-19 CoP – February 5, 2021- Resource List– OCFP, Feb. 5, 2021

Links Issued by AFHTO on February 2nd.
Mental Health and Additions Centre of Excellence (Ontario Health)

• Coping with COVID – MHA supports for healthcare workers
• Who is looking after you? (English and French)
• COVID-19 Vaccine Screening and Consent Form – Ministry of Health, Jan. 23, 2021
• Lessons Learned from Israel’s Vaccine Rollout – Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, Feb. 1, 2021
• Navigating the Covid-19 Pandemic by Caring for Our Health Care Workforce as They Care for Our Patients– various authors, Stanford University School of Medicine, NEJM Catalyst

Innovations in Care Delivery 2021, Jan. 2021

• Learning Systems in Times of Crisis: the Covid-19 Critical Intelligence Unit in New South Wales, Australia– various authors, NEJM Catalyst Innovations in Care Delivery 2020, Nov. 2020

Links Issued by AFHTO on January 26th.

• Complicated Grief and COVID-19 – new materials from Espanola and Area and Powassan FHTs’ webinar series
• January 22nd Update on COVID-19 Vaccination Roll Out -AFHTO, Jan. 22, 2021
• COVID-19 CoP – January 22, 2021 – Resource List– OCFP, Jan. 22, 2021
• Planning Immunization for Specific Groups– various sources, Jan. 2021

Links Issued by AFHTO on January 5th.
(AFHTO have now added a vaccine page to their COVID section on the site. The Ministry also has a COVID-19 Vaccine-Relevant Information and Planning Resources page. Recent updates include:

• Ethical framework for COVID-19 vaccine distribution – Ministry of Health, Dec. 30, 2020
• Weekly memos from Gen. Rick Hillier- Dec. 24 and Dec. 31, 2020
• COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Operations Planning Checklist– Ministry of Health, Dec. 12, 2020
• COVID-19: Vaccine Obtaining Informed Consent – Script for Health Care Providers– Ministry of Health, Dec. 13, 2020

AFHTO continue to update several pages on their site with resources and news:

• Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and Ministry situation reports (please note that the Ministry Situation Reports on COVID-19 are posted daily so review them to better understand the provincial response)
• COVID-19 assessment centres in Ontario
• COVID-19 information for Patients, Caregivers and the Public
• H+K Memos and Insight Notes on Government Press Releases
• Infection control resources and tools for primary care
• Management and operations, human resources and COVID-19
• Mental health and wellness during COVID-19
• Providing Comprehensive Care During COVID-19
• Resources for Re-opening
• Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19

Links Issued by AFHTO on December 22nd (previous week updates):

• The AMMI hosted COVID-19 Vaccine Foundations for Health Care Providers webinar, Dec. 14.
• COVID-19 vaccines – resources compiled by CEP including addressing patient questions about the vaccines.
• OCFP Questions and Answers from their Dec. 11th Community of Practice session onCOVID.
• Shining a Light at the End of the Tunnel– OMA white paper regarding a vaccine framework, Dec. 15, 2020
• Memo from General Rick Hillier and COVID-19 taskforce update 2
• Primary Care: Preparedness and Management of COVID-19– PHO webinar, Nov. 13

Links Issued by AFHTO on December 15th (previous week updates):

• Ontario Delivers First COVID-19 Vaccine in the Country– Office of the Premier, Dec. 14, 2020
• Memo from General Rick Hillier- EN and FR
• Ontario’s Vaccine Distribution Implementation Plan – EN and FR

Ministry of Health:

• COVID-19 About Vaccines- EN and FR
• Guidance for Vaccinated Health Care Workers- EN and FR
• COVID-19 Vaccine Information Sheet – EN and FR
• COVID-19 Vaccine Approval Process and Safety- EN and FR
• COVID-19 Vaccine Availability and Rollout- EN and FR
• COVID-19 Vaccine Administration- EN and FR

Links Issued by AFHTO on December 8th (previous week updates):

• Ontario Identifies Key Groups for Distribution of Initial COVID-19 Vaccines– Office of the Premier, Dec. 7, 2020
• List of resources for crisis– CMHA Ontario, Dec. 2020
• Updated guide for in-person care– OCFP, Dec. 2020
• Top 10 Questions about PPE/IPAC – OCFP, Dec. 4, 2020
• Ontario providing additional financial support for young learners– Office of the Premier, Nov. 30, 2020- please inform your patients

Links Issued by AFHTO on November 18th (previous week updates):

• Recommendations for Conducting Spirometry Testing and Nebulized Treatment in Primary Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic– Lung Health Foundation, Nov. 9, 2020
• Ontario Launching New Agency to Centralize Government Procurement – PPE mentioned as a priority- government of Ontario, Nov. 16, 2020
• Updating the Keeping Ontario Safe and Open Framework– by lowering the thresholds for each level in the framework – Office of the Premier, Nov. 13, 2020

Links Issued by AFHTO on November 3rd (previous week updates):

• COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open– government of Ontario-Nov. 3, 2020
• Resources for daily COVID-19 Screening Requirements for Workers and Essential Visitors– a reminder this is in force
• Changing the way we work: Rising case counts, respiratory assessment centres, and flu shots during COVID-19– OCFP and DFCM Community of Practice webinar recording from October 16th, 2020

Links Issued by AFHTO on September 29th (previous week updates):

• COVID-19 Provincial Testing Guidance Update
  -Ministry of Health, revised September 24, 2020
• An amendment to Ontario Regulation 364/20 “Rules for Areas in Stage 3” under theReopening Ontario Act, requires all places of business to comply with the advice, recommendations and instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health on screening individuals.

Links Issued by AFHTO on September 22nd (previous week updates):

• Reference Document For COVID-19 Symptoms -Ministry of Health, revised September 21, 2020
• Considerations for Planning Curbside/Drive-Through Vaccination Clinics– CDC
• Changing the way we work: Considerations as we plan for the fall – part II- COVID-19 CoP for Ontario Family Physicians – Sep. 18, 2020

Links Issued by AFHTO on September 15th (previous week updates):

• Guidance for influenza vaccine delivery in the presence of COVID-19 – Government of Canada

Links Issued by AFHTO on September 8th (previous week updates):

• Primary Care COVID-19 V6 Guidance – English and French– Ministry of Health
• Patient requests for work accommodations– OCFP
• COVID-19 pandemic – RAEB’s evidence update #23– Research, Analysis and Evaluation Branch, Ministry of Health
• Back-to-School Mental Health Kit– Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO)
• Wave 2: Planning for fall and winter– CEP, with input from OCFP, AFHTO, NPAO, SGFP, RNAO
• COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms

Issued by MOH May 26th:

• COVID-19 Directive #2 for Health Care Providers (Regulated Health Professionals or Persons who operate a Group Practice of Regulated Health Professionals)
• COVID-19 Operational Requirements: Health Sector Restart

Issued by MOH May 22/25th:

• COVID-19 Guidance: Primary Care Providers in a Community Setting
• COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms

Issued by MOH May 14/17th:

• COVID-19 Patient Screening Guidance Document
• COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms
  

Issued by MOH May 2nd:

• Quick Reference Public Health Guidance on Testing and Clearance

Issued by MOH April 22nd:

• COVID-19 Patient Screening Guidance Document
• COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms

Issued by MOH April 15th:

• COVID-19-Testing-Guidance-Update
• Memorandum to Health System Organizations and Providers. Update on COVID-19 Preparations and Actions
• New Version of Directive-3-Long-Term-Care-Homes includes required precautions and procedures.
• Guidance for Mask Use in LTCH
• PH Management of Cases & Contacts of COVID-19 in Ontario

Recent OHIP bulletins K codes: Bulletin #4745 and #11229

• Updated March 25: Ministry of Health – Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations.
• Ontario Health (OH) agency communiques by Dr. David Kaplan, Chief Clinical Quality, Ontario Health.
• A survey request from OH to assess stock of PPE in the primary care community for future assistance.

As you are aware, on October 1st, 2020 the Ministry of Health revised the guidance for the management for COVID-19 in schools. Highlights of the changes include revisions to the screening tool, and new return to school requirements. Due to the differences in transmission of COVID-19 in different age groups, there are now two screening tools: one for students and one for staff/essential visitors.The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) has developed new screening tools that build on the provincial screening tool and provide more specific direction on what students and staff/visitors should do when they meet the criteria for possible testing. Specifically, we are asking that these individuals seek assessment and testing at a COVID-19 assessment centre. As such, schools and school boards in Simcoe Muskoka are now advised to refer staff and families to the SMDHU’s locally adapted screening tools, in place of the provincial tool:

Additionally, the SMDHU has revised it’s COVID-19: SMDHU Supplemental Guidance Document For School Settings to reflect recent changes in provincial and local direction. We have also developed / revised the following menu of tools and resources to assist schools and families in understanding the current guidelines:

• My child did not pass the COVID-19 daily screening. Now what? (includes return to school guidelines for students) – Revised October 5, 2020
• When COVID-19 symptoms develop at school or child care – Revised October 5, 2020
• School Protocol when Students, Staff or Visitors tests positive for COVID-19 – Revised October 5, 2020
• School Protocol When COVID-19 Outbreak is Declared – Revised October 5, 2020
• Return to School Protocol for Staff with COVID-19 Symptoms – Revised October 5, 2020
• Return to school attestation form – NEW: the health unit recommends that schools request that families, and staff/visitors complete this attestation form to support a safe return to school.

Significant changes include moving from a 14-day clearance period (period of communicability) for all cases to a 10-day clearance period for the majority of cases with mild to moderate illness. However, the incubation period remains at 14 days, and therefore contacts who have had a high-risk exposure to a case must still self-isolate for 14 days from their last exposure.

The above resources have also been posted to the SMDHU website at https://www.simcoemuskokahealth.org/Topics/COVID-19/Return-to-School for Administrators/Educators, families and health care partners. We encourage you to visit these pages often, as this information will be continually updated to reflect changes in provincial direction and our local context.

• For Parents: Provincial COVID-19 Screening Tool for Children in School and Child Care
• Helping your family prepare for return to school during a pandemic.
• Patient COVID-19 self-assessment tool.
• COVID-19 Public Health Resources.
• How to wash your hands
• How to self-monitor
• How to self-isolate
• Self-isolation: Guide for caregivers, household members and close contacts
• Cleaning and disinfection for public settings
• A poster with key tips on how to wear and dispose of masks.
• A guide on how to sanitize your mobile phone and phone case.
• Online French Language Supports and Services during COVID-19