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Effective December 26, 2020, all open and secure custody / detention youth justice facilities shall adhere to the Interim Direction outlined in this memo.
This direction shall remain in place until further notice.
While this Interim Direction is in effect, previously issued direction is suspended, namely the following:
As the COVID-19 outbreak situation changes, further direction may be provided.
Indoor visits are permitted for essential visitors ONLY.
An essential visitor is generally a person who:
An essential visitor may include but is not limited to the following:
Virtual visits are to be strongly encouraged and facilitated wherever possible.
Agencies should consider residents and staff health and susceptibility to the virus as well as the overall well-being of all the residents in youth justice facility settings in determining whether essential visits are appropriate.
Essential visitor personal protective equipment requirements while indoors:
All essential visitors must wear, a surgical/procedure mask AND eye protection (i.e. face shield) at all times while inside the congregate living setting.
Essential visitors are to be advised during screening at the door that strict adherence to the masking/eye protection requirements are a condition of entry and failure to adhere may result in them being asked to leave the premises.
Service providers are to supply essential visitors with a surgical/procedure mask and face shield as needed.
Surgical/procedure masks and face shields are considered core Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and can be obtained through the Critical Supplies and Equipment (CSE) survey portal. (See section below for additional detail).
Outdoor visits are permitted for essential visitors ONLY.
Essential visitor personal protective equipment requirements while outdoors:
All essential visitors must wear, at a minimum, a surgical/procedure mask at all times while the outdoor visit is taking place. The requirement of a surgical/procedure mask is new and enhanced from previous direction to use a face mask/covering.
Service providers are to supply outdoor essential visitors with a surgical/procedure mask as needed.
Non-Essential Reintegration Leaves:
All non-essential reintegration leaves continue to be restricted until further notice.
Service providers are to follow local school board direction regarding school attendance.
Eye protection needs to be:
Eye protection should have some means of shielding the sides of the eyes/face by the way they wrap around so that droplets are less likely to land on the eyes. Prescription glasses and sunglasses alone are not considered adequate eye protection.
As a reminder, Public Health Ontario has provided the following guidance for staff areas:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Failure to abide by the careful use of PPE and strict limitations on PPE removal in the congregate setting is a known contributor to the spread of COVID-19 between staff and residents, and among staff.
Surgical/procedure masks, face shields and isolation gowns are considered ‘core’ PPE types and can be obtained via the Critical Supplies and Equipment (CSE) survey portal by reporting your current inventory, and your forecasted usage.
Eye goggles and safety glasses are considered a "niche" PPE type and can be obtained through the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) Shared Services PPE Order Page.
Service providers are asked to use discretion when ordering niche PPE (i.e. eye goggles or safety glasses) and should default to using core PPE (i.e. face shields) when operationally feasible.
Agencies should forecast their requirements based on this new standard in the CSE survey portal. In case of an emergency (i.e. COVID-19 outbreak, having less than a 5 day supply of PPE) organizations requiring additional surgical masks, eye protection and isolation gowns can request additional supply from the OACAS Shared Services PPE Order Page.
Screening in youth justice open and secure facilities must continue to include the following question to all individuals seeking to enter the setting:
Facility screening must also continue to be enhanced for staff with the following questions:
For a list of all COVID-19 symptoms and access additional screening tools please refer to the to the Government of Ontario COVID-19 Information Website.
If a youth justice facility is in an active COVID-19 outbreak (one or more positive COVID-19 case), the following additional measures must be followed:
The measures above are essential tools to addressing the risks of COVID-19 transmission in youth justice open and secure facilities.
While direct interactions connected to the workplace and youth justice facility settings are key, what we do in our personal lives also contributes directly to infection risks in those settings. All Ontarians including staff at youth justice facilities MUST adhere strictly to practices in their personal life that help stop the spread of COVID-19.
These practices include maintaining at least 2 metres or 6 feet physical distance from others, using a face masks or covering when outside of your home,hand and respiratory hygiene, and limiting close contact (within 6 feet or 2 metres) only to people you live with in the same household.
To support these efforts, facilities should supplement these practices by setting measures to maintain and enhance work from home arrangements where it is not essential for employees to attend the workplace.