The Chief Medical Officer of Health’s Directive #1 was revised and takes effect on December 22, 2021. The guidance reflects the uncertainty around the modes of transmission of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus and the spectrum of illness that it causes.
The Directive requires:
A point-of-care risk assessment (PCRA) be performed by every health care worker before every patient interaction.
Health care workers providing direct care to or interacting with a suspected, probable, or confirmed cases of COVID-19 must wear a fit-tested, seal-checked N95 respirator (or approved equivalent), eye protection (goggles or face shield), gown and gloves.
Probable cases include those placed in precautions as high-risk contact, in an outbreak zone of the facility or recently transferred from a facility in outbreak.
Airborne precautions when aerosol generating medical procedures are planned or anticipated to be performed on patients with suspected or confirmed COVID–19, based on a point of care risk assessment and, clinical and professional judgement.
Health care workers must review and adopt the Updated IPAC Recommendations for Use of Personal Protective Equipment or Care of Individuals with Suspect or Confirmed COVID-19.
CDTO’s COVID-19 Guidance for RDTs was developed using the precautionary principle and recently updated on July 29, 2021 to reflect the best available evidence. As this outbreak evolves, there will be continual review of emerging evidence to understand the most appropriate measures to take.
