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Guidance for health care providers, long-term care homes, retirement homes, and other congregate living settings (COVID-19)

Public Health is focused on supporting outbreak management in highest-risk settings such as hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes, and other congregate living settings and institutions. Across the province, PCR testing is prioritized for high-risk individuals and settings. You can visit our COVID-19 page for information on symptoms, self-isolation, and where to get tested for COVID-19.

On this page:

Vaccine rollout

Locally, Public Health Sudbury & Districts is actively distributing and administering COVID-19 vaccine primary series and bivalent booster doses, in area communities and through engagement with local stakeholders.

Additionally, all staff, visitors, and residents of long-term care homes (LTCH) and retirement homes (RH) are strongly encouraged to receive the annual influenza vaccine.

For a complete list of resources to support planning and implementation of a COVID-19 vaccination, please review our COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Communications in a Box.

Health care workers

Self isolation, Exposures, Illness & Testing

Health care workers that have symptoms of COVID-19 and work in any of the highest risk settings must self-isolate (learn how) immediately and notify their employer or occupational  health and safety department. Symptomatic health care workers should seek testing (Government of Ontario). Staff awaiting testing should await test results to return to work.

Government of Ontario’s Appendix A: Management of Staffing in Highest Risk Settings from Management of Cases and Contacts of COVID-19 in Ontario provides testing, isolation, and return-to-work guidance for COVID-19 cases and contacts.

Management of critical staffing shortages in highest risk settings

If routine operations cannot be met. Highest risk settings may have staff return to work early in accordance to their agency policy and section 9.2 Options for critical staffing shortages of the Management of Cases and Contacts of COVID-19 in Ontario (Government of Ontario, PDF). If guidance cannot be followed, staff would otherwise be required to self-isolate or otherwise not attend work for 10 days from last exposure.

There are also a number of Ministry of Health guidance documents for health and other sectors available on the Ministry of Health’s website for further information.

Long-term care homes, retirement homes, and other congregate living settings

Long-term care homes, retirement homes, and other congregate living settings must take all reasonable steps to mitigate COVID-19 and follow ministry and sector specific guidance documents. This includes planning for and implementing, to the extent possible, staff and resident cohorting as part of their approach to preparedness, as well as to prevent the spread of COVID-19 once identified in the home. For more information on cohorting and outbreak management, please consult the following resources:

Direct communications from Public Health Sudbury & Districts

Advisory Alerts and clinical guidance issued by Public Health Sudbury & Districts

Helpful links

Public Health Sudbury & Districts

Public Health Agency of Canada

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): For health professionals

Ontario Ministry of Health

Guidance for the health sector

Guidance documents for:

Public Health Ontario

This item was last modified on February 10, 2023