Ontario changes the directive on PPE for long-term care homes -

As Ontario continues into the second wave of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the province has updated its directives that govern rules related to personal protective equipment for both regulated and unregulated health care staff at hospitals, long-term care, and retirement homes.

The updated directive makes it easier for unregulated health professionals – like support workers, environmental service employees, and porters – to access N95 masks, a protective device that seals the area around the nose and mouth.

Previously, if a long-term care facility or hospital was experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, unregulated workers in Ontario had no access to N95 masks.

Now, those workers can access fit-tested N95s when in contact with suspected, probable, or confirmed coronavirus cases, where a two-meter distance cannot be assured.

For more information about this story, click here.