TORONTO: Ontario has announced that long-term care residents can once again leave their residences for short-stay and temporary absences.
Following the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, effective immediately, residents can spend time away from their long-term care homes for day trips or overnight absences.
For ‘short-stay’ absences — those that do not include an overnight stay — homes must provide residents with a medical mask to be worn at all times when outside of the home if tolerated and remind them of the importance of public health measures, including physical distancing.
When they return, residents must be actively screened but are not required to be tested or to self-isolate.
Residents may also leave for ‘temporary’ absences of one or more nights. Temporary absences will be at the discretion of the home and decided on a case-by-case basis based on safety factors like the risk associated with the absence (e.g., for a family weekend vs. a large gathering) and the ability of the home to help residents self-isolate upon return.
For the protection of their neighbours, residents who leave on a temporary absence will be required to self-isolate for 14 days when they return to the home.
“This is a day we have all looked forward to, and it is my hope that these welcome changes will improve our residents’ quality of life while keeping them safe,” said Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care.
An updated policy for visits to long-term care homes will be released next week. Examples of short-stay absences include visits to see family or run errands. They can also include outpatient medical visits or emergency room visits that extend over a single night, but where the person is not admitted as an in-patient.