{"id":10468,"date":"2021-07-30T13:42:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-30T17:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cpbao.ca\/?p=10468"},"modified":"2021-08-12T11:47:38","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T15:47:38","slug":"information-from-the-practice-advice-service-july-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cpbao.ca\/fr\/information-from-the-practice-advice-service-july-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Information from the Practice Advice Service"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Practice Advice Service of the College provides information to members of the College and members of the public regarding relevant Legislation, Regulations, Standards of Professional Conduct,<\/em> and other Guidelines. Answers are provided in response to specific inquiries and may not be applicable or generalize to all circumstances. Information is provided to support College members in exercising their professional judgement and is not an appropriate substitute for advice from a qualified legal professional.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATURE OF INQUIRIES<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Between April 1, 2021 and June 30, 2021, the College received and responded to 530 inquiries. During this period, 11 of these queries were related to practicing during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COVID-19 INQUIRIES<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Almost all of the pandemic related inquiries pertained to how to appropriately return to in-person services and whether it was permissible to require that clients to be seen in person show proof of vaccination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that things are \u00ab\u00a0opening up\u00a0\u00bb in Ontario, may we return to in-person services in non-emergency and non-urgent circumstances and if so, may we require proof of vaccination? <\/h6>
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Throughout the pandemic, members have been permitted to use their professional judgment to decide when it was necessary to see clients in-person. The College wishes to advise members that Ontario\u2019s Chief Medical Officer of Health recently rescinded Directive #2 for Health Care Providers (Regulated Health Professionals or Persons who operate a Group Practice of Regulated Health Professionals)<\/em>.This Directive had been amended and re-issued in mid-April due to the increasing COVID-19 case counts, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions.  <\/em>Rescinding of Directive #2 means that non-urgent<\/strong> and non-emergent<\/strong> procedures may be gradually resumed by health care providers and health care entities who were subject to that Directive<\/em>. This includes in-person services that are non-essential or non-emergent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In making this decision, the Chief Medical Officer of Health advised that all health care providers should continue to follow the guidance issued by the Ministry of Health in the COVID-19 Operational Requirements: Health Sector Restart<\/a>.  College members are advised to review this document to ensure an understanding of relevant requirements to return to in-person service provision appropriately and gradually.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In returning to the provision of in-person services, the College urges members to take a conservative approach to minimize the risk of community spread as much as reasonably possible, particularly with the emergence of new variants of the virus and localized outbreaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proof of Vaccination:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some members have asked whether they may require clients wishing to receive in-person services to demonstrate that they have been vaccinated. The Ontario Human Rights Commission has published a document entitled COVID-19 and Ontario\u2019s Human Rights Code \u2013 Questions and Answers<\/a> <\/strong>to provide some guidance to individuals, practitioners and employers.  The following section from this document may be of assistance.  Please note that this is the published position of the Ontario Human Rights Commission and the College is not qualified or authorized to offer interpretation of the Ontario Human Rights Code<\/em><\/a>.  Members seeking specific guidance or further clarity on how to interpret their own responsibilities under the Code <\/em>are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ontario Human Rights Commission<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

21.    Can my employer or any service or housing provider require proof that I\u2019ve received a COVID-19 vaccine?<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n