COVID-19 Information for Health Professionals
York Region Public Health continues to provide support for health professionals related to COVID-19. The York Region Public Health phone line for health care professionals 1-877-464-9675 ext. 77280 is staffed from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, and is provided for health care providers to ensure your inquiries can be answered quickly. Messages received over the weekend will be responded to as soon as possible, in the order they were received and based on urgency the next business day. Urgent inquiries will be triaged to our after-hours line through our Answering Service.
COVID-19 Vaccines
Six COVID-19 vaccines are currently approved for use in Canada. For information on approved vaccines, including product monographs, administration information and additional resources, visit Approved COVID-19 Vaccines from the Government of Canada.
Information on COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and available clinics in York Region can be found at york.ca/COVID19Vaccine
Additional COVID-19 vaccine resources:
- Ministry of Health: COVID-19 Vaccine-Relevant Information and Planning Resources
- National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI): Current vaccine statements
- Canadian Immunization Guide: COVID-19 vaccine
- Staying Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines: Recommended Doses
Alert
Please update your College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) address and fax number to ensure you are receiving all ENS messaging as it relates to COVID-19.You can also reach out to @email if you continue to experience issues receiving ENS updates.
For Health Professionals
Sector-Specific Guidance Documents
For up-to-date guidance and requirements for your health sector with respect to screening, infection prevention and control measures, personal protective equipment, and other sector-specific needs, visit the Ministry of Health COVID-19 Guidance for the Health Sector page.
Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Recommendations
For the most up-to-date Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) recommendations, please refer to Public Health Ontario’s (PHO) IPAC Recommendations for Use of Personal Protective Equipment for Care of Individuals with Suspect or Confirmed COVID-19.
Important Information to Gather from Suspect Cases
Please collect the following information from anyone you believe may meet the COVID-19 case definition to help with an assessment:
- Signs, symptoms, onset and your clinical assessment
- Travel details if applicable (dates and exact location(s) of travel and date of return to Canada)
- Full patient demographics (including phone number)
- Confirmation of infection prevention and control measures put in place following assessment and testing for COVID-19 (if testing was carried out)
Children and COVID-19
Clinical disease presentation and severity
Parents may request your support in interpreting symptoms based on the Ontario COVID-19 Screening Tool for Children in School and Child Care. Consistent with prior data, reports continue to indicate that children have mild disease compared with adults. However, there are reports of severe disease in children. Paediatric patients with COVID-19 may experience the following signs or symptoms based on illness severity, as identified by the Canadian Paediatric Society:
Mild Disease
- Asymptomatic infection or upper respiratory tract symptoms (e.g., pharyngeal congestion, sore throat, or fever) for a short period (i.e., less than 7 days)
- No oxygen support required
- No abnormal radiographs or evidence of sepsis
Moderate Disease
- Fever, cough, fatigue, headache, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, myalgia, anosmia (loss of smell) or ageusia (loss of taste)
- Signs of increased work of breathing and increased respiratory rate, but no hypoxemia (no oxygen required)
- Pneumonia on chest x-ray
- No evidence of sepsis
Severe Disease
- Respiratory distress or organ dysfunction, such as
- Tachypnea
- Hypoxemia
- Cardiovascular effects (e.g., myocardial injury)
- Central nervous system effects (e.g., decreased level of consciousness, depression, seizures, or coma)
- Gastrointestinal effects (e.g., dehydration, difficulty feeding, elevated liver enzymes)
- Coagulation dysfunction, rhabdomyolysis, or other vital organ dysfunction
Critical illness
- Respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation (acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), persistent hypoxemia)
- Septic shock
- Organ failure requiring invasive monitoring and mechanical ventilation
- Myocardial injury/heart failure
- Liver injury/coagulation dysfunction
- Kidney injury
Acute Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
An acute inflammatory illness has been reported in a small number of children worldwide, thought to be associated with COVID-19. Clinical presentations include persistent fever and features suggestive of Kawasaki disease (complete or incomplete), toxic shock-like syndrome, euvolemic shock states and severe gastrointestinal illness. Severe myocardial dysfunction and multiple organ failure have also been reported. While rare, clinicians should be aware of this potential syndrome and maintain a high index of suspicion to identify cases. For more information, please see the Public Alert from the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program.
Disease transmission in children
Person-to-person spread was demonstrated very early in this pandemic and has been well described in children. Contact tracing in various countries has determined that the major risk factor for acquiring COVID-19 infection in childhood is currently household exposure.
Managing children and youth infected with symptomatic COVID-19
Treatment remains largely supportive and includes prevention and management of complications. Several Canadian universities, research centres and medical organizations have recommended against use of off-label, investigational therapies and antivirals.
For more information on the management of a child with COVID-19, options include:
- Contact the Pediatrics Department at your local hospital
- Page Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the Hospital for Sick Children
- And/or send a referral to the Hospital for Sick Children’s virtual COVID clinic (Infectious Diseases rapid access clinic) through EpicCare Link
Immunization
While COVID-19 is currently a primary focus for health care providers, there are vaccine preventable diseases that still pose a risk to the York Region community. Routine immunization services should still be provided, as long as proper infection prevention and control measures are in place.
Past Communications from York Region Public Health
- February 7, 2022 - Booster Doses Provide Much Needed Protection Against Severe Illness and Death
- January 17, 2022 - COVID-19 Vaccination Appropriate Immediately After COVID-19 Infection Resolves
- January 12, 2022 - AstraZeneca Vaxzevria COVID-19 Vaccine Update
- January 7, 2022 - Updated Medical Exemption Process for COVID-19 Vaccines
- December 17, 2021 - Five to 11 Urgently Recommended to Get Vaccinated, Booster Dose Eligibility Updated
- December 10, 2021 – Janssen Vaccine Update
- December 9, 2021 – Supporting Opioid Treatment During COVID-19
- November 24, 2021 - COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments for ages 5 to 11 Available Now
- November 19, 2021 - Eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine third doses and booster shots, new 8-week interval for second dose
- October 13, 2021 – Adverse Events Following Immunization
- October 12, 2021 - COVID-19 Vaccine Co-administration and Preferential Vaccine Recommendation for those 12-24 years of age
- September 24, 2021 – For OBGYNs and Midwives: Talk to Your Patients about COVID-19 Vaccination and Pregnancy
- September 24, 2021 - Talk to Your Patients about COVID-19 Vaccination and Pregnancy
- September 21, 2021 - Ministry of Health Provides Five COVID-19 Related Updates
- September 2, 2021 - Symptomatic Possible COVID-19 Cases should seek PCR test at COVID-19 Assessment Centres
- August 30, 2021 - Third Dose Recommendations for Immunocompromised Patients
- July 26, 2021 - How to Avoid Moderna Vaccine Wastage
- July 14, 2021 - Walk-in First Dose COVID-19 Vaccination Appointments Now Available
- June 28, 2021 - We Need Your Help! Many Residents Age 60+ Still Unvaccinated
- June 23, 2021 - COVID-19 Vaccines: Building COnfidence in Modernas and NACI Recommendations on Second Doses
- June 18, 2021 - Adverse Events Following Information, AEFI Decision Tool and PHO AEFI Fact Sheet
- June 14, 2021 - Reports of Myocarditis and Pericarditis after COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination
- April 16, 2021 - COVID-19 Resources Available for Health Care Professionals
- April 15, 2021 - COVID-19 Vaccines: Eligibility, Shortened Dose Interval and Vaccine Preferences
- April 14, 2021 - Readiness Survey for Primary Care Providing AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Immunizations
- April 3, 2021 - Best Practice Recommendations for Community Pharmacists providing AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine Immunizations
- March 31, 2021 - COVID-19 Vaccine Accessibility for Homebound Individuals or those with Mobility Issues
- March 22, 2021 - 70 and Older Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccination Starting March 23
- March 8, 2021 - Practice Updates: Ordering Grade 7 School Vaccines, School COVID-19 Screening Guidance and Voluntary Testing
- March 2 2021 - Outbreak Management Following Immunization
- February 26, 2021 — COVID-19 Vaccines Now Available for York Region Residents 80 Years of Age and Older
- February 1, 2021 - York Region Opens COVID-19 Voluntary Isolation Centre
- February 10, 2021 - New Mandated Requirements for Rapid Antigen Testing
- January 6, 2021 - COVID-19 Reminder to Health Care Providers
- December 24, 2020 - COVID-19 Vaccine: What You Need to Know So Far
- December 11, 2020 - COVID-19 Social Care Guidance and Resources
- November 23, 2020 - Multiple Guidance Updates from Ministry of Health
- October 26, 2020 - REMINDER: Self-isolation Timing for Close Contacts of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases
- October 19, 2020 - Non-medical Absences Now Subject to Approval in LTC Homes
- October 8, 2020 - New Changes to Clearance Guidance for COVID-19 Cases
- September 11, 2020 - Updates to York Region Public Health COVID-19 Telephone Lines
- August 31, 2020 - Ministry of Health Issues new Guidance for School Outbreak Management
- August 28, 2020 - Updates on Influenza and Pneumococcal Pneumonia Immunization and Ministry of Health Guidance for Immunization Services
- August 12, 2020 - Updates to COVID-19 Case Definition, Symptoms and Testing Guidance Issued by Ministry of Health
- August 10, 2020 - Ministry Updates Recommendations in COVID-19 Quick Reference Public Health Guidance on Testing and Clearance
- July 10, 2020 - Letter to Health Care Partners re: Individuals who fail COVID-19 screening at your premises
- June 12, 2020 - Ministry Updates COVID-19 Directive 3 for Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
- June 12, 2020 - New Admissions and Readmissions to Long-Term Care Homes
- June 11, 2020 - Resuming Visits In Long-Term Care Homes
- June 1, 2020 - Updated COVID-19 Quick Reference Public Health Guidance on Testing and Clearance
- May 27, 2020 - Ministry Updates Directive #2 for Health Care Providers and Operational Requirements for Health Sector Restart
- May 26, 2020 — Ministry Expands COVID-19 Testing as of May 25
- May 22, 2020 - Ministry updates COVID-19 Directive 3 for Long-term Care and Retirement Homes
- May 20, 2020 - National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) Issues Interim Guidance on Continuity of Immunization Programs During COVID-19
- May 15, 2020 - Ministry of Health Recommends Any Ontario Resident with Symptom(s) be Tested for COVID-19
- May 14, 2020 - Updated COVID-19 Quick Reference Public Health Guidance on Testing and Clearance
- May 13, 2020 - COVID-19 Symptoms Updated by Ministry of Health
- May 13, 2020 - Updated COVID-19 Proactive Prevalence Testing: What to do with results?
- May 5, 2020 – Ministry Issues Numerous Updates to COVID-19 Guidance
- April 30, 2020 – Transfer of Patients from Hospital to Long-Term Care Homes
- April 30, 2020 — Guidance for Vaccine Storage and Handling during COVID-19
- April 24, 2020 – Guidance for Immunization Priorities During COVID-19
- April 23, 2020 - COVID-19 Proactive Surveillance Testing
- April 17, 2020 - Ministry Updates COVID-19 Return to Work Guidance for Health Care Workers
- April 16, 2020 - Updated COVID-19 Directives for Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
- April 16, 2020 - Updated COVID-19 Information for Long Term Care and Retirement Homes
- April 15, 2020 – Updated COVID-19 Testing Guidance Issued from the Ministry
- April 15, 2020 – Updated COVID-19 Directives for Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
- April 10, 2020 - Additional COVID-19 Information for Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
- April 9, 2020 – New COVID-19 Testing Guidance Issued from Ministry
- April 9, 2020 - Updated COVID-19 Directives for Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
- April 9, 2020 – Prevent Outbreaks of COVID-19 from Spreading between Facilities
- April 6, 2020 - COVID-19 Assessment Centres in York Region Test All Physician Referrals
- April 1, 2020 - Updated COVID-19 Directives for Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
- April 1, 2020 - Updated COVID-19 Case Definition, New Directives and Additional Guidance for Health Care Workers Returning from Self-Isolation
- March 26, 2020 - Additional Guidance for COVID-19 from Ministry of Health and Public Health Ontario
- March 26, 2020 - COVID-19 Public Health Management of Confirmed and Probable Cases
- March 23, 2020 - Ministry Issues New Guidance for Primary Care Providers and Ontario Drug Benefit Program
- March 20, 2020 – Important Hospital Sector Updates Regarding COVID-19
- March 19, 2020 - Ministry of Health Recommendations for Health Care Workers
- March 17, 2020 - COVID-19 Updates: Case Updates & Situation in York Region
- March 4, 2020 - Dedicated COVID-19 Phone Line Opening for Health Professionals
- March 1, 2020 - York Region Public Health Confirms 4 cases of COVID-19
- February 27, 2020 - COVID-19 Case Definition Updated by Ministry of Health
- February 19, 2020 - Sector Specific COVID-19 Guidance issued for Pharamacies
- February 12, 2020 - COVID-19 Testing Changes for PHOL
- February 7, 2020 - Novel Coronavirus Case Definition Updated by Ministry of Health
- February 5, 2020 - New Guidance and Case Definition Issued for Novel Coronavirus
- January 30, 2020 - Ministry of Health Releases Novel Coronavirus Guidance for Primary Care Providers
- January 30, 2020 - Update on Novel Coronavirus for Long-Term Care facilities
- January 24, 2020 - Update on Novel Coronavirus for Hospitals
- January 24, 2020 - Update on Novel Coronavirus for Health Care Professionals
- January 13, 2020 - Update: Undiagnosed Viral Pneumonia in Central China
- January 8, 2020 - Undiagnosed Viral Pneumonia in Central China
Community Health Care Provider Webinars
York Region Public Health hosts interactive webinars with community-based health care providers to provide updates on COVID-19. To receive an invitation or submit questions for future webinars, please subscribe to York Region’s Public Health Matters.
COVID-19 Briefing: November 29, 2021
Hosted by Dr. JoAnne Fernandes and Dr. Cindy Shen, both Associated Medical Officers of Health for York Region.
NOTE: As of December 19, 2021, there have been recent regulatory changes made to the Reopening Ontario Act, due to the rapid increase of COVID-19 transmission related to the Omicron variant. This webinar does not reflect these changes.
COVID-19 Briefing: September 27, 2021
Hosted by Dr. JoAnne Fernandes and Dr. Cindy Shen, both Public Health Physicians of York Region.
COVID-19 Briefing: August 23, 2021
Hosted by Dr. JoAnne Fernandes, Public Health Physician and Dr. Ceinwen Pope, Public Health and Preventive Medicine Resident Physician of York Region.
COVID-19 Briefing: June 9, 2021
Hosted by Dr. Cindy Shen, Public Health Physician and Dr. Azim Kasmani, Public Health and Preventive Medicine Resident Physician of York Region. Also, Dr. Richard Gould, Associate Medical Officer of Health for York Region joined for the Q&A session.
COVID-19 Briefing: May 10, 2021
Hosted by Dr. Cindy Shen, and Dr. Mehvish Mehrani, both York Region Public Health Physician
COVID-19 Briefing: March 29, 2021
Hosted by Dr. Fareen Karachiwalla and Dr. Richard Gould, Associate Medical Officers of Health, York Region Public Health
COVID-19 Briefing: February 26, 2021
Hosted by Dr. Cindy Shen, Public Health Physician and Dr. Mehvish Mehrani, Public Health Physician
COVID-19 Briefing: January 18, 2021
Hosted by Dr. Fareen Karachiwalla, Associate Medical Officer of Health and Dr. Mehvish Mehrani, Public Health Physician
COVID-19 Briefing: November 26, 2020
Hosted by Dr. Fareen Karachiwalla, Associate Medical Officer of Health and Andrew Lam, University of Toronto Medical Student
COVID-19 Briefing: October 29, 2020
Hosted by Dr. Shixin (Cindy) Shen, Krista Richards and Kim Bacani-Angus, York Region Public Health
COVID-19 Briefing: September 23, 2020
Hosted by Dr. Alanna Fitzgerald-Husek and Dr. Richard Gould, Associate Medical Officers of Health, York Region Public Health
COVID-19 Briefing: August 19, 2020
Hosted by Dr. Fareen Karachiwalla, Associate Medical Officer of Health and York Region Public Health and Dr. Rebecca Shalansky, Medical Resident, York Region Public Health
Please note that this webinar was recorded prior to the release of the COVID-19 Guidance: School Outbreak Management document from the Ontario Ministry of Health. If there are any discrepancies between what was said in the video with respect to school outbreak management and the Ministry Guidance document, the Guidance document prevails.
COVID-19 Briefing: July 16, 2020
Hosted by Dr. Fareen Karachiwalla, Associate Medical Officer of Health, York Region Public Health
Reporting an Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI)
An AEFI is an event or reaction that occurs following immunization that may or may not be caused by the vaccine. Health care providers are required to report AEFIs to York Region Public Health under the Health Promotion and Protection Act.
Consult the Factsheet for Healthcare Providers for more information about AEFIs and when they should be reported.
To report an AEFI:
- Complete an adverse event form, or download the form and complete, then fax the completed form to York Region Public Health at 905-898-5213, or
- Call our Nurses Line at 1-877-464-9675, ext. 73452
Additional Resources
York Region Public Health - Should you report an Adverse Event to York Region Public Health? (Decision Tool)
Public Health Ontario - Adverse Events of Special Interest (AESIs) for COVID-19 Vaccines Surveillance
Related Resources
External Resources for Health Professionals
- COVID-19 Vaccine Third Dose Recommendations — Ministry of Health
- Medical Exemptions to COVID-19 Vaccination — Ministry of Health
- Statement of Medical Exemption — Ministry of Health
- A multidisciplinary panel of health experts with 19 To Zero discuss COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine hesitancy
- Answering Questions About COVID-19 Vaccines: a guide for healthcare providers
- PrOTCT Plan for the COVID-19 vaccine discussion: Tips for Discussing COVID-19 Vaccines
- COVID-19 Orders, Directives, Memorandums and Other Resources – Ministry of Health
- Ontario Medical Association’s Summary of Primary Care Guidance
- Social Care Guidance in the COVID-19 Context — Provides referrals to appropriate community resources addressing social determinants of health
- COVID-19 Resource Centre — Provides evidence to help adapt a practice to a changing environment
Access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Ontario Health, together with the Ministry of Health, has implemented a new temporary process called Pandemic PPE Transitional Support (PPTS). This new process provides access to a dedicated supply of PPE from the provincial stockpile to all community-based physicians – both primary care providers and community-based specialists – free of charge.
Eligible practitioners can make requests through the Ontario Health Regional Online Remedy Intake Form.
In addition, the Ministry of Health requests that primary care providers and community-based specialists continue to update their PPE inventory levels twice a week. This is an eligibility requirement to receive PPE through PPTS.
For more information, see Transitional PPE Support.