Information for Physicians

This is most certainly a difficult and challenging time for the world — especially for each of you within the Ontario healthcare community.

The CPSO’s expectation during a public health emergency is that physicians act in the best interests of their patients and support the provision of care directly or, where necessary, indirectly by supporting their colleagues and the larger system in responding to the emergency.

More than ever, it is important for the healthcare system to collaborate to meet the challenges we see today and the days ahead. This is a constantly evolving situation, and it will be essential for you to stay informed regarding appropriate practices from Public Health Ontario and other system partners. We will continue to work collectively to provide the best guidance available, and support you through this challenging and uncertain period.

Key Updates and Resources

• Please see the COVID-19 update sent to the profession regarding the provision of in-person and virtual care on October 13, 2021.
• We have assembled answers to some of the more frequent questions we’re hearing from physicians and continue to update them as new questions arise, including guidance regarding the right mix of in-person and virtual care, to make sure patients’ health care needs are being served.
• In an effort to help meet the increased demands on the healthcare system we are seeing, we are providing an expedited process for a Short Duration Certificate for applicants, which provides for a supervised license for a period of 30 days.
• We are also working closely with our colleagues across the country to expedite the registration of interprovincial applicants.
• Please do not forget to take care of yourself, we recognize the unprecedented levels of burnout physicians are facing, if you’re seeking help the Ontario Medical Association Physician Health Program is available 24\7 at 1-800-851-6606
• CMPA has also catalogued a number of resources for staying well during COVID-19
• Recently the Ontario government has warned of counterfeit N95 masks in the provincial stockpile. 3M has set up dedicated resources to assist in identifying and reporting potential counterfeit items.

Ministry of Health COVID-19 Information

The Ministry of Health is providing regular updates on the status of cases in Ontario, and updating advice and guidance to the public.

Public Health Ontario has a resource page for healthcare providers, containing best practices for infection prevention and control of novel respiratory infections and comprehensive instructions for specimen collection, specimen requirements, specimen handling, testing methods and turnaround times.

Specific guidance for physicians and healthcare providers is available on the Ministry of Health’s website.

Physicians facing immediate challenges (less than 10 days of supply) with their personal protective equipment supply levels can email the ministry at [email protected]. A Health Care Provider Hotline has also been setup at 1-866-212-2272.

Government of Canada

The federal government is providing daily updates on the status of COVID-19 in Canada, with information on the situation across the country, as well as providing updates on the federal government’s response.

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization is providing daily updates on the global status of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their daily situation reports include information on the global spread, as well as updates from the WHO’s Operations Supply and Logistics team on the availability of critical resources.