Yee Hong responds to COVID-19

Throughout the global pandemic, Yee Hong has relied on the best scientific evidence to keep our teams and our seniors safe and healthy. Yee Hong is vigilant to detect the virus when it occurs in our Centres, and we take comprehensive steps for infection prevention and control.

As Ontario adjusts its COVID-19 restrictions, vaccination and masking policies remain necessary in health-care settings to protect us all. For the latest updates on COVID-19 in our province, please visit the Ontario COVID-19 website.

Enhanced COVID Safety – Current Measures

  • Mandatory masks
  • Mandatory vaccination policy
  • Front-door screening
  • COVID testing for staff and visitors (new negative result required every day)
  • Hand hygiene, physical distance and enhanced cleaning

 

Visitor Access

  • Ontario permits general visitors in hospice and long-term care
  • 4 indoor visitors maximum (please book in advance for groups of 3 or 4)
  • Outdoor visiting weekdays 9:00 to 5:00, no maximum
  • Book a resident’s day and overnight absences in advance

Read our visitor policy here.

Declared COVID Outbreak

  • Yee Hong Centre – Scarborough Finch

During an outbreak, visitor access to our Centres may be limited.

Learn more...
When a long-term care home is on outbreak, we all have a responsibility to ensure the continued health, safety and care of our residents, caregivers, families, visitors and staff.

One of the protective measures we take includes limiting visitor access.

When a home is on outbreak, only one essential caregiver per resident will be allowed to visit throughout the entire outbreak duration. This is to limit the risk of transmission and help keep residents safe.

End-of-life exemptions will apply. Your loved one’s care team will work with you and your family in these situations.

 

How to visit Yee Hong

 

General visitors are welcome. Symptoms Screening and rapid testing are required at the entrance. Masking in the home is required throughout the visit.

During an outbreak, only one essential caregiver per resident at a time is permitted. If you are not well, had recent close contact with a positive COVID-19 case or have been told to quarantine, please refrain from visiting our residents.

Building Access

  • Everyone who enters a Yee Hong building will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms or exposure. You may not visit if you are ill or have symptoms, even if your symptoms are mild.
  • A negative rapid test is required for everyone entering our buildings. This requirement applies to everyone, regardless of your vaccination status. Rapid tests are valid for 48 hours. During an outbreak, we will revert to daily rapid tests.
  • Up to 4 people may visit a resident at any one time. Pre-registration is required to host more than 2 visitors at one time.

Resident Absences

There are 4 types of absences:

  1. Medical absences are absences to seek medical and /or health care
  2. Compassionate and palliative absences include, but not limited to, absences for purpose of visiting a dying loved one
  3. Short term (day) absences or Social absences are absences that are less than or equal to 24 hours in duration
  4. Temporary absences include absences involving 2 or more days and one or more nights for non-medical reasons

For all types of absences listed above, staff are to provide a medical grade mask to the residents to be worn as tolerated. Residents are also reminded to follow public health measures, such as physical distancing and hand hygiene, while they are away from the home.

Residents who are on a contact and droplet precautions and/or reside in an area of the home that is in an outbreak cannot participate in short or temporary absences but can leave for medical, palliative or compassionate reasons.

Requirements upon return

Day and other absences

  • Actively screen residents upon return.
  • If known exposure to a case, PCR test on day 1 and day 5 from the day of exposure and isolate until a negative result is confirmed from day 5.

    Admissions/Transfers

    • A PCR test is required prior to admission or on day 1, and on day 5 if admitted from the community. Isolation is required until a negative result is confirmed from day 0 (the test prior to admission is only valid the day of, or from the previous day).
    • A PCR test is required on day 5 of admission if admitted from hospital or other health care facilities that are not in outbreak. Isolation is not required unless symptomatic or tested positive.
    • Active symptom screening on admission.

    Gifts and Care Packages

    • Please clean your hands before and after handling gifts/care packages.
    • Do not prepare or send packages to a resident if you are not feeling well.

    Food

    • Masking is required at all times, and for that reason we ask visitors and Essential Caregivers not to eat while in the room. If you brought food for a loved one, do not share with other residents.
    • Please assist and/or remind our residents to clean their hands before and after eating.

    Connecting Family with Residents

    Video Chat

    In order to support our residents and their loved ones during this time, we are providing video chat services to help our long-term care residents connect with their family members. If you would like to talk to your loved ones through video chat, please complete the online registration form below and we will get back to you with further information as soon as possible.

    Click here to register

    Video chat instructions

    Using FaceTime (Apple devices only)
    Using Skype
    Adding Contacts in Skype

    Important Links

    Find out more about the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), how to protect yourself, what to do if you’re sick after you travel and how to recognize possible symptoms.