Note: this blog post has been edited to include clarification of the below update on pre-screening. 

It has been a particularly busy and newsworthy couple of weeks! And it's October already! We hope everyone is managing well and taking care of themselves.

Here are a couple of COVID-19 related updates:

New COVID-19 related Regulation

The Province has put in place additional instructions "to ensure the continued health and safety of Ontarians, reduce the risk of transmission, and limit future outbreaks of COVID-19". This includes a requirement for businesses or organizations to comply with any advice, recommendations, and instructions issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health on screening for COVID-19.  The rules are part of  Ontario Regulation 364/20, “Rules for Areas in Stage 3” under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 .

Ontario News Release on New Public Health Measures Implemented to Keep Ontarians Safe.

Provincial Plan for Second Wave

On September 30^th, the Province released its plan for preparing for the second wave said to be worth $2.8 billion.
 
There are 6 areas identified for action:

1. Maintain strong public health measures including continued expansion of testing and case and contact management:
2. Implement flu immunization campaign, said to the the largest in Ontario’s history
3. Identify, manage and prevent COVID-19 outbreaks through quick response
4. Reduce health services backlogs
5. Prepare for case surges
6. Recruit, retain, train and support health care workers and engage families and caregivers. This includes:  supporting long-term care homes through a Long-term care preparedness plan with $540m investments and; the earlier released Provincial Back-to-School Plan and $234.6m Safe Restart Agreement funding for child care and early years programming.

 
Keeping Ontarians Safe: Preparing for Future Waves of COVID-19