COVID-19 information for Long-term Care and Retirement Homes settings

Last revised on September 22, 2021

The long-term care home (LTCH) and retirement home (RH) sectors are critical stakeholders in the response to COVID-19. Residents of these institutions are particularly vulnerable to severe illness and death from COVID-19. Efforts to keep COVID-19 out of these institutions, early detection of COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 vaccination in institutions are vital to COVID-19 prevention and control. 

On this page:

1. Chief Medical Officer of Health Directives
2. Ontario Ministry of Health & Public Health Ontario – Guidance and Resources 
3. Memorandums
4. Vaccination
5. Testing
6. Personal Protective Equipment
7. COVID-19 Signage

1. Chief Medical Officer of Health Directives

• Directive #1 for Health Care Providers and Health Care Entities
• Directive #3 for Long Term Care Homes Under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007
• Directive #5 for Hospitals within the meaning of the Public Hospitals Act and Long-Term Care Homes within the meaning of the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007
• Directive #6 for Public Hospitals within the meaning of the Public Hospitals Act, Service Providers in accordance with the Home Care and Community Services Act, 1994, Local Health Integration Networks within the meaning of the Local Health System Integration Act, 2006, and Ambulance Services within the meaning of the Ambulance Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. A.19.

2. Ontario Ministry of Health and Public Health Ontario Guidance Documents and Resources

• COVID-19 Guidance: Long Term Care Homes
• Minister’s Directive: Long-term care home COVID-19 immunization policy
• COVID-19: Long-term care home surveillance testing and access to homes
• Ministry of Health COVID-19 Screening Tool for Long-Term Care Homes and Retirement Homes
• NEWS RELEASE: Ontario Mandates Immunization Policies for Long-term Care Homes
• NEWS RELEASE: Ontario’s Updated COVID-19 Vaccination Eligibility
• NEWS RELEASE: Ontario Makes COVID-19 Vaccination Policies Mandatory for High-Risk Settings

3. Memorandums

• Memorandum to Long Term Care Homes Sector (March 9, 2020): COVID-19 Updates (PDF)
• Ministry of Health Memorandum to Long-Term Care Homes, Retirement Homes, Supportive Housing, Hospices and other congregate care settings: COVID-19 - Visitors (March 13, 2020) (PDF - 165 KB)
• Memorandum to Long-Term Care Home and Retirement Home Operators (May 21, 2021) (PDF - 230 KB). This document is currently not in an accessible format. An accessible document will be posted shortly.

4. Vaccination

All LTCH and RHs who have the clinical capacity to immunize are eligible to order COVID-19 vaccine for administration to eligible staff and residents within their facility.  

Facilities ordering vaccine are responsible to ensure a plan is in place to use all doses ordered to reduce potential vaccine wastage.  Facilities who do not have enough eligible residents or staff to use entire vials of vaccine can contact OPH IPAC phone line at 613-580-2424 ext. 26325 or via email at IPAC/PCI@ottawa.ca for guidance.

Vaccine Ordering Process

LTCH and RH operators can order vaccine and vaccination supplies by completing the COVID-19 Vaccine Order Form. LTCH and RH who are unable to access the form can call the OPH IPAC phone line at 613.580.2424 ext. 26325 for assistance.

OPH will arrange delivery of vaccine on the date indicated on the COVID-19 Vaccine Order Form submitted. Deliveries can only be scheduled on business days and facilities must be prepared to use the vaccine on the same day as delivery.  

Note: Requests for vaccine must be submitted a minimum of two business days prior to the planned vaccine administration date and are based on vaccine availability.

COVax_ON requirements & educational resources

COVax_ON

COVax_ON is Ontario’s provincial vaccination database for COVID-19 vaccines. All doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered must be documented in the COVax_ON system. Please ensure that your facility has active access to COVax_ON prior to the day of your vaccination event.

COVID-19 Immunization Information for Immunizers 

Below are links to COVID-19 vaccine-relevant resources for immunizers. These include guidance for health care providers related to administration, special recommendations as well as anaphylaxis and adverse event management. Please visit the Ministry of Health COVID-19 Website for additional information. 

Pfizer-BioNTech

• Pfizer-BioNTech’s Quick Guide to Administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
• Ministry of Health Administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine factsheet

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine 

• Moderna’s Quick Guide to Administration of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
• Ministry of Health Administration of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine factsheet
• Advisory: Importation of COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna with up to 15 Doses per Vial and English-only Vial and Carton Labels (US-Labelled Supply)

Mixed COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Schedules

• Ministry of Health - Q&A for Health Care Providers 

Printed confirmation of vaccination

Do you have staff or residents that require a printed confirmation of their vaccination status?  Individuals can review and print a confirmation that they have received their vaccine through the Ontario COVID-19 Vaccination portal.

Educational resource for staff who are vaccine hesitant or decline COVID-19 vaccination

As of September 7^th, 2021, it is mandatory for community care service providers, such as those working in LTCH, RH, and congregate living facilities (such as group homes and shelters), to have COVID-19 immunization policies in place for staff.  As part of these policies, staff who decline vaccination must participate in COVID-19 vaccination education. 

Visit the OPH YouTube channel to access a vaccination education video for staff

Adverse Events

• Management of Anaphylaxis Following Immunization in the Community
• Anaphylaxis and other Acute Reactions following Vaccination: Canadian Immunization Guide

Additional Resources 

5.Testing

• COVID-19 Provincial Testing Guidance Update
• COVID-19 Quick Reference Public Health Guidance on Testing and Clearance
• Need to be tested? - Learn more about testing.
• Facility specimen collection request form

6. Personal Protective Equipment

• Putting on Full Personal Protective Equipment - Public Health Ontario Video 
• Guidance for mask use in long-term care homes and retirement home

7. COVID-19 Signage

• OPH Outbreak signage - We are experiencing an outbreak [PDF 138 kb]
• Signage for LTCH - Attention Patients! English (PDF)
• Signage for LTCH - Attention Visitors! English (PDF)
• Signage for LTCH - Stop! English (PDF)
• Signage for RH - the following signages are included:
• We are experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 (page 1)
• We are currently free from COVID-19 (page 2)
• We are currently free from COVID-19 (pages 4-5)
• Welcoming visitors to your home during COVID-19 (page 3)

OPH has sent several ERMS to long-term care homes and retirement homes. More information can be found on the  Recent Public Health Alerts Issued By Ottawa Public Health ERMS please see this link.

To report an outbreak for any disease during regular business hours, or for more information, call 613-580-2424 ext. 26325, or in the evening, on weekends or holidays, call 3-1-1 and ask to speak with the Public Health Inspector on-call.