St. Joe's Healthcare Worker COVID-19 Testing and Isolation Guidance

Health/Community Mental Health Support

As of Monday, April 22, 2024, 10:15 a.m.:

This information is updated each Monday, excluding holidays.

Important Message for Visitors and Essential Care Partners  

St. Joe's strives to provide safe, accessible and quality care to all our patients, and we acknowledge the important role that Essential Care Partners (ECP) and visitors play with supporting and promoting healing for patients.   

St. Joe’s follows Infection Prevention and Control best practice guidelines to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission of infections. 

During respiratory outbreaks, it is necessary to restrict visiting 

• If your loved one is receiving care on a unit currently experiencing a respiratory outbreak, visitors are not permitted.  
• St. Joe’s care teams will provide updates to a key contact person who can keep other family and friends informed of other options during this time (e.g., video call). 

See Hospital Snapshot information above to learn which units are currently in respiratory outbreak. 

Exemptions are permitted for:   

• Essential Care Partners (includes Aboriginal Navigators and Spiritual Consultants).
• Essential Care Partners are individuals (family member, friend, neighbour, colleague, community member, Substitute Decision Maker) who know the patient well and work together with the care team to support the patient while in the hospital.
• Patients at end of life.
• Birthing partners.
• Parents of infants in the Special Care Nursery.

Everyone is strongly encouraged to wear a mask 

• Masks will continue to be available at hospital entrances and on units/clinics. 
• Visitors and ECP are strongly encouraged to mask in settings where they are in contact with patients, both in inpatient, outpatient and emergency settings (i.e. waiting rooms, patient rooms, dialysis units, urgent care centre and in the emergency department). 
• Visitors and ECP are asked to respect patient wish and put on a mask if requested. 
• Patients are strongly encouraged to mask in the emergency department, Urgent Care Centre, Labour and Delivery Triage, and outpatient settings (particularly in waiting rooms). Patients can remove their mask once inside the clinic/examination room. 

Please do not come to the hospital if you are sick  

• Visitors and ECP should not visit if sick. 
• Do not come to hospital, if you have any of the following symptoms: Fever, headache, sore throat, new or worsening cough or shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting. 
• Please complete a self-assessment before entering the hospital. Those who do not pass the self-assessment are asked to refrain from visiting the hospital for 10 days from onset of symptoms/positive COVID test.  

There are instances when patients are required to wear a mask 

• Patients with fever or respiratory symptoms are required to mask in all clinical and non-clinical settings (except their inpatient room/bed space), as they would have pre-pandemic.  
• Patients are encouraged to mask when leaving their dedicated room/bedspace for their own protection. 

Visiting hours  

• Visiting hours are between 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.  
• If you are coming to Charlton Campus after 6 p.m., please go through the Emergency Department entrance. 

Patient Relations 

Any questions or concerns related to these guidelines can be directed to Patient Relations at x34952 or by email at PatientRelations@stjoes.ca (during business hours) or ask the clinical team to please speak with the Corporate Operations Supervisor after hours.