Staged Precautions for Pulmonary Diagnostic Testing During and After
COVID-19 Pandemic in Ontario

The Respiratory Therapy Society of Ontario (RTSO) recognizes the need for guidance for pulmonary diagnostic testing (PDT) during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario. RTSO also acknowledges that there is limited and emerging evidence surrounding the potential for exposure to COVID-19 by patients and clinicians during PDT.

As the Province moves through the various phases/stages of pandemic control, considerations must be made to ensure that patient and clinician safety is balanced with clinical benefit during these procedures. When there is a lack of clear evidence, the RTSO recommends that precautionary principles govern the decision-making process to optimize a safe approach and minimize the risk of disease spread.

This document is intended to provide guidance for a staged approach for PDT in a variety of settings, taking local public health guidance and resources into consideration including:

1. Organizational Risk Assessment for Services and Test Capacity
   

2. COVID-19 Screening
   

3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
   

4. Reconfigure Test Space and Patient Flow
   

5. Environmental Controls and Cleaning
   

6. Reorganize Test Scheduling

We hope that this information will be helpful in providing a safe pulmonary diagnostic testing process for both patients and staff. Any feedback should be forwarded to the RTSO Office at office@rtso.ca.

Thank you,
RTSO Board of Directors
RTSO Leadership Committee

The Summer Edition of Airwaves is now on-line!

In addition to our regular features, some introductions are included in this issue. We have some new content, with Tony Kajnar submitting a Pulmonary Diagnostics Update.  Not surprisingly, we also received several submissions relating to COVID-19…storying our experiences through this pandemic is so important, as we have learned so much as information has evolved and we have shared our successes and failures with one another! 

Save the Date

With our Inspire conference re-scheduled for 2021 we will be holding a virtual Annual General Meeting on October 22 at 7:00 pm. We are asking members to save the date and we will be sending a webinar invitation and agenda 30 days in advance.

Update on Pandemic Pay

June 1

Pandemic Pay Implementation Guidelines

An overview of how pandemic payments will be implemented across the health sector and confirm eligible workplaces and workers in the health sector.

May 27

Pandemic Pay Eligibility

As you know, on April 25, the government announced it is providing eligible frontline and support workers with temporary pandemic pay.

Since that time, we have received inquiries about whether the list of eligible workers or workplaces would be expanded. There is a limit to the amount of funding provided by the federal government through our agreement and after careful consideration, the government will not be expanding the pandemic pay beyond those already deemed eligible.

Pandemic pay will be in effect for eligible workers from April 24, 2020 until August 13, 2020, and consists of:

1. A temporary top-up on hourly wages: Eligible workers will receive $4 per hour worked on top of existing hourly wages, regardless of how much they already make; and

2. Monthly lump sum payments: Eligible workers who work at least 100 hours in a designated 4-week period will also be eligible to receive an additional lump sum payment of $250 for that period, up to a total of $1,000 in lump sum payments. The designated 4-week periods are:

        o April 24, 2020 to May 21, 2020

        o May 22, 2020 to June 18, 2020

        o June 19, 2020 to July 16, 2020

        o July 17, 2020 to August 13, 2020

In the first week of June 2020 ministries will start providing written funding commitments to employer partners that receive direct government funding, as well as to service delivery managers, followed quickly by the flow of money.

We expect some employers will begin receiving pandemic pay in early June, however exact timing will vary.

The Pandemic Pay website at Ontario.ca/pandemicpay will be updated in the coming days with more specific timelines.

Our ministry will continue to work with eligible employers to move the funding forward as quickly as possible, always recognizing the due diligence that is required for government funding.

If you have any questions about pandemic pay, please contact the Ministry at MOH.PPInquiries@ontario.ca

Thank you,
Helen Angus
Deputy Minister

The RTSO board is pleased to announce that after a series of conversations with our provincial government the RTSO received a phone call from Hon. Christine Elliott. During the conversation with Hon. Christine Elliott, she informed the organization that the pandemic pay will now be expanded to more front line workers which will include Respiratory Therapists. She also stated that she wanted to send a thank you to all the respiratory therapists for all your hard work and putting yourselves at risk during these unprecedented times.

“Today, Ontario provided a clarification that this pandemic pay applies to respiratory therapists, mental health and addictions workers in hospitals and congregate care settings, public health nurses and paramedics,” Anna Miller, a spokesperson for Ontario’s Ministry of Health, told Global News in a statement Monday evening.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/6880138/coronavirus-ontario-pandemic-pay-eligibility-list-expanded/

The RTSO has received further confirmation that the pandemic pay has been extended to respiratory therapists in the home and community sectors.
https://www.news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/4/pandemic-pay-provides-support-for-frontline-workers-fighting-covid-19.html