Essential Services – Position Statement

Introduction

The Ontario Government has enacted a declaration of emergency to help contain the spread of COVID-19 and protect the public. On March 19, 2020, the Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) issued a Directive to health care providers (regulated health professionals or persons who operate a group practice of regulated health professionals) outlining procedures to be followed to protect the health of Ontarians. The CMOH directive extends to all regulated health professionals, including Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Registered Acupuncturists. The CMOH Directive requires that health care providers and organizations stop or significantly reduce all non-essential or elective services until further notice (this applies regardless of whether services are being provided in-person, via telepractice or virtually). To view the CMOH directive, please click HERE.

Furthermore, on March 23, 2020, all non-essential business₁ and services have been ordered to close, as of 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. Please click HERE, to view the Government’s news release.

Position of College

Until more guidance is received, the College strongly recommends that ALL IN-PERSON traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture care be suspended until further notice.

Essential services may be provided ONLY by telepractice. As in any practice situation, members who engage in telepractice must comply with all regulations and standards of practice of the College.

Practitioners are in the best position to determine what care is deemed essential for an individual patient in a particular moment in time. The College interprets essential services as time-sensitive treatment/acute procedures required to prevent adverse patient outcomes or to avert situations that would have a direct impact on the safety of the patient. Members who work in a hospital or public care setting should consult with the health authorities on their definition of essential services.

The College expects members to comply with all government and public health recommendations to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The College’s focus is on public safety and protecting the public. The College's position may evolve as new guidance/direction is provided by the government.

Other Considerations

1. *Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) considerations:
   • Preservation of PPE supplies (masks, gloves, gowns and hand sanitizers, etc.) is crucial in ensuring that they are available to front-line healthcare practitioners who are providing essential services.
   • Shortage of PPE supplies does not lessen the infection control standards and requirements. Healthcare practitioners who continue to provide care must comply with strict infection control standards (e.g., Standard for Infection Control).
2. Members who discontinue services must ensure that patients are aware of the discontinuation and take appropriate steps to do so (e.g., update office signs, phone messages, website information).
3. The College understands that the suspension of services may impact members’ employment situation. The Government of Canada has announced new financial support measures for individuals impacted by COVID-19 who are business owners or self-employed. For more information, please click HERE. As this service suspension will impact clinic staff, members operating a clinic may wish to consult with an employment lawyer for best employment practices.

Members must continue to comply with the government orders and directives. New directives are continually posted on our website as soon as they are received.

_{1: *} A list of essential businesses is available on the government website at here