Yee Hong responds to COVID-19

Enhanced hygiene, testing and tracing, additional PPE for workers and cohorting of our care teams to prevent contamination across floors is in place to contain the virus, and we are working closely with our partners at York Region Public Health. Yee Hong requires everyone working or visiting in our Centres to be vaccinated, and the residents with direct exposure to this positive case are themselves fully vaccinated. No one on the affected floor is showing signs or symptoms of infection.

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• A maximum of two people may visit a resident indoors at any one time.
• Essential Caregivers are always welcome up to a maximum of two people for one resident at one time.
• While visiting, follow our infection prevention and control practices. Answer the screener’s questions at the entrance, complete your Rapid Antigen test, wash your hands often, and wear a mask at all times over your nose, mouth and chin. We encourage you to wear eye protection and maintain physical distance from others.

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 remind 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.

Day absences

• Day absences for social purposes are permitted for fully vaccinated residents only.

Overnight absences

• Overnight absences for social purposes are being suspended, regardless of vaccination status. Residents who wish to leave the home overnight for social purposes will need to follow the appropriate discharge process, as required in section 147.1 of O.Reg.79/10 (General) under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007 as well as the re-admission protocol when they return at a later date.
• Essential, medical and compassionate and palliative absences are still permitted, regardless of vaccination status.

Requirements upon return

Day absences

• Actively screen residents upon return.
• Rapid test and PCR test on day 3 following absence, followed by a PCR test on day 7. No isolation is required unless positive result is received.
• If known exposure to a case, PCR test on day 1 and day 7 and isolate until a negative result is confirmed from day 7.
• Resident, if tolerated, will wear a mask in common areas and will have separate dining until a negative COVID-19 from day 7 is confirmed.

For other absence return (not including day absences)

• A PCR test is required prior to return or on day 1, and on day 7. Isolation is required until a negative result is confirmed from day 7 (the test prior to return is only valid the day of, or from the previous day).
• Do enhanced symptom screening on return and twice daily for 10 days following the return.

• A PCR test is required prior to admission or on day 1, and on day 7. Isolation is required until a negative result is confirmed from day 7 (the test prior to admission is only valid the day of, or from the previous day).
• Do enhanced symptom screening on admission and twice daily for 10 days following the admission/transfer.

• 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.

• 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.