READ IMMEDIATELY: ORDER OF THE MEDICAL HEALTH OFFICER

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To the Staff of Menno Place,

Menno Place received an ORDER OF THE MEDICAL HEALTH OFFICER this evening to gather information from all staff, contractors and volunteers about multi-facility work, including locations and hours worked. In addition, the Medical Health Officer is requiring you to select the single Facility or other healthcare facility at which you will provide service for the remainder of the COVID-19 epidemic. You must make your selection by March 24th. As this is an ORDER OF THE MEDICAL HEALTH OFFICER, you must comply within this time frame.

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Menno Place is required to :

1. Inform you immediately of the ORDER OF THE MEDICAL HEALTH OFFICER which we are doing in this communication.

2. Gather further information from you.  You will receive another survey on Monday, March 23rd that will require further details of any multi-site work, including your selection of the SINGLE facility in which you will provide service for the remainder of the COVID-19 epidemic. 

Thank you to the 367 of you who have provided information to us about multi-site work in the past week. We will compile that information and contact you again on March 23rd.

We are pleased to have you on the Menno Place Team. If you work at another site, we are hopeful that you will select Menno Place as your single site to provide services. Thank you for all you do as you care for the vulnerable in this time of uncertainty. Your work is appreciated.

Sincerely,
The Leadership Team at Menno Place

ORDER OF THE MEDICAL HEALTH OFFICER

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CLASS ORDER #2 (Staff of Licensed Long-term Care Facilities) re: COVID-19

NOTICE TO ALL EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS AND VOLUNTEERS OF LICENSED LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES IN THE FRASER HEALTH REGION (CLASS)

ORDER OF THE MEDICAL HEALTH OFFICER
(Pursuant to Sections 30, 31, 32, 39(3) and 54(1) Public Health Act, S.B.C. 2008)

The Public Health Act, S.B.C. 2008, c. 28 and the regulations issued thereunder are available at: http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/content/complete/statreg/1922970521/08028/?xsl=/templates/browse.xsl

TO: All employees, contractors and volunteers of Licensed Long-Term Care Facilities (“Facilities”) (such persons referred to collectively as “Facility Staff”)

FACILITIES: All Facilities within the Fraser Health Authority (“FHA”) region

WHEREAS:

  1. A communicable disease known as COVID-19 has emerged in British Columbia;
    B. SARS-CoV-2, an infectious agent, can cause outbreaks of serious illness known as COVID-19 among the public;
    C. A person infected with SARS-CoV-2 can infect other people with whom the infected person is in contact;
    D. On March 17, 2020, the Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry declared the COVID-19 pandemic to be an emergency pursuant to Part 5 of the Public Health Act, S.B.C. 2008, c. 28;
    E. On March 17, 2020, the Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, issued a letter to all Facilities advising that the residents of Facilities, being individuals who are elderly and who may have underlying conditions that compromise the immune system, are particularly at risk of developing severe illness upon becoming infected with COVID-19, and that visitors to all Facilities should be restricted;
    F. Facilities within the FHA region have experienced or may experience an outbreak or incidence of COVID-19 infection , such that it has become necessary to implement more extensive and restrictive protective measures in order to limit the possibility of further spread of COVID-19 and to protect the residents and staff of Facilities;
    G. You belong to a class of people who are employed or contracted by, or a volunteer at, a Facility that is situated within the FHA region; and
    H. I have reason to believe and do believe that the risk of further outbreaks of COVID-19 in Facilities constitutes a health hazard under the Public Health Act.I HEREBY MAKE THE FOLLOWING ORDER PURSUANT TO SECTINS 30, 31, 32, 39(3) AND 54(1) OF THE PUBLIC HEATLH ACT:1. On receipt of this Order, Facility Staff are directed to:

    a) By March 24, 2020, disclose to the Manager of Facility (or his or her designate) for each Facility in the FHA region at which the individual provides services, information confirming whether the individual has an employment, contract or volunteer relationship with any other Facility or other healthcare facility, including a hospital as defined in the Hospital Act, RSBC 1996, c. 200, whether or not such other Facility or healthcare facility is situated within or outside the FHA region (the “Staff Disclosure”);

    b) Include in the Staff Disclosure, the following information for each Facility or other healthcare facility at which they provide services on-site:

    a. the individual’s position(s) at each Facility or other healthcare facility (i.e. RN, LPN, care aide, administrative staff, housekeeping and/or food services staff, etc.);
    b. the category of worker that the individual belongs to at each Facility or other healthcare facility (i.e. employee, contracted worker, volunteer);
    c. the individual’s work location for each Facility or other healthcare facility;
    d. the status of the individual at each Facility or other healthcare facility (i.e. full time, part time, casual, etc.); and
    e. the average number of hours the individual works per week at each Facility or other healthcare facility; and

    c) To the extent that an individual has an employment, contract or volunteer relationship with multiple Facilities, or with a Facility and another healthcare facility, the individual is required to select the single Facility or other healthcare facility at which the individual will provide service for the remainder of the COVID-19 epidemic, or until the cancellation or variance of this Order, and to provide service only at that Facility or healthcare facility and not at any other Facility or healthcare facility. For the purpose of this aspect of my Order, it is up to the FHA Chief Medical Health Officer to determine when the COVID-19 epidemic is over.

    For clarity, Facility Staff do not include physicians, paramedics, and laboratory technicians who provide visiting health services to a Facility.

    This Order remains in effect until cancelled, suspended or varied by me or another FHA MHO at any time. I will review this order and the conditions contained in it at a minimum of two (2) weeks from the date it is made.

    You are required under section 42 of the Public Health Act to comply with this Order. Failure to comply with this Order is an offence under section 99(1)(k) of the Public Health Act. If you fail to comply with this Order, I have the authority to take enforcement action against you under Part 4, Division 6 of the Public Health Act.

    Pursuant to section 54(1)(h) of the Public Health Act, and in accordance with the emergency powers set out in part 5 of the Public Health Act, no MHO employed by FHA will be accepting requests for reconsideration, requests for review, or requests for reassessment of this Order.

    You may contact me at:
    Martin Lavoie, MD, FRCPC
    Chief Medical Health Officer, Fraser Health Authority
    400 – 13450 – 102nd Avenue
    Surrey, BC V3T 0H1
    Telephone: 604-587-3828 Email: Courtney.Morimoto@fraserhealth.ca
    DATED THIS: 22nd day of March, 2020.
    SIGNED:
    Martin Lavoie, MD, FRCPC
    Chief Medical Health Officer Fraser Health Authority
    DELIVERED BY: Facility Operators by handing this Order in person to each Facility Staff member or by email.
    Enclosures: Excerpts of Public Health Act and Regulations