Our Environmental Services (EVS) department has implemented additional cleaning and disinfection procedures to ensure a clean and safe environment for our patients, staff and physicians.

• Increased EVS staffing for all common areas and high-volume units
• All patient and staff screening stations disinfected nightly
• New disinfection technologies and products implemented, including electrostatic disinfection

In line with provincial guidance and direction St. Joe’s has been able to implement daily screening and surveillance of our inpatients. The objective is early detection and early intervention of new or worsening symptoms. Given the emerging data that COVID-19 may be an ongoing issue till a vaccine is available, this screening is an important patient safety step in our overall goal to drive quality of care. The new process includes actively screening each patient each shift and determining the need for testing/swabbing. This change is fully supported by a new medical directive enabling nurses to initiate quick primary testing. Subsequent screening resulting in potential further testing will be discussed with the treatment team.

Our staff and physicians follow meticulous hand hygiene practices. Click here to learn more about hand hygiene at St. Joe’s.

As a precautionary measure we are introducing COVID-19 testing for every patient being admitted to St. Joseph’s Healthcare.

Given the rise of the omicron variant, with community rates of COVID-19 being at the highest they have been during the pandemic, there is an ongoing risk of admission of patients that are not displaying COVID-19 symptoms, but infectious to others. 

We are using environmental cues around the hospital to encourage physical distancing, including signage and roping off every other chair in waiting rooms and using tape on the floor to encourage distancing in line-ups. 

Seating areas in public areas are limited and discouraged.

Staff and physicians are replacing in-person group meetings with virtual meetings using teleconferences and video conferencing when possible, and have been asked not to attend in-person conferences or speaking presentations for work. Conferences, corporate events and corporate social gatherings have been cancelled or postponed.

Visitor Screening Protocol Changes 

Last Updated March 17, 2022 at 11:30 a.m.

St. Joe’s will no longer require proof of vaccination for visitors or accompaniments. Visitors must pass screening and are required to follow all Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements. St. Joe’s supports vaccination against COVID-19.

Effective Tuesday, March 15, St. Joe’s is increasing the number of visitors from two (2) essential care providers to four (4), with two (2) at the beside at one time. One ambulatory accompaniment will also be allowed per patient at that time.

The current visitor guidelines are:

Inpatient Visitors

• Up to four (4) caregivers/support people to visit for each inpatient, only two (2) at the bedside at one time, with the exception of families of an End of Life patient, which will be determined by the clinical team.
• Visitors under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult and be able to wear a mask at all times.

Emergency Department/Urgent Care/Psychiatry Emergency Services 

• One (1) accompaniment is allowed for all patients.
• More than one (1) accompaniment is only allowed in extenuating circumstances as requested by the clinical team.

Outpatient Accompaniment

• One (1) accompaniment is allowed for all patients.

Visitors are encouraged to contact the Patient Relations team (905.522.1155 x34952) with any questions or concerns.

The following entrances will be the only points of entry for patients and visitors, per Campus:

CHARLTON CAMPUS

FOR PATIENTS REQUIRING EMERGENCY SERVICES

Emergency Department, Main Entrance (entrance off of James Street South):
Open 24 hours / 7 days a week
Note: For patients requiring emergency services only.

FOR PATIENTS AND VISITORS

1) Main entrance (Information desk):

7 days a week | 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.

2) Juravinski Tower, Level 0 entrance:

7 days a week | 6 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Note: this entrance is also for staff, physicians, vendors, Dynacare, and Lifeline

3) Fontbonne entrance:

7 days a week | 6 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Note: this entrance is also for staff/physicians

FOR LABOUR AND DELIVERY PATIENTS

Roofdeck Entrance (St. Joseph's Drive):

7 days a week | 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Note: this entrance is for staff/physicians, Labour and Delivery patients, and Patient Transport only

WEST 5TH CAMPUS

Main entrance (West 5th Street), Level 1:

7 days a week | 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Outpatient entrance (Fennel Avenue), Level 0:

Monday - Friday | 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

KING CAMPUS

Main entrance:

Monday - Friday | 6:25 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Dialysis entrance:

Monday - Friday | 6:30 - 11:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday | 6:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. 

St. Joe’s to continue our masking mandate

Last Updated March 14, 2022 

On March 9, the Ontario government announced it would be removing the mandatory masking requirement for most settings on March 21, including schools. Masks will still be required in select settings such as hospitals and high-risk congregate care.

St. Joe’s will therefore continue to require everyone who enters our hospitals to wear a mask and masks will still be provided at hospital entrances. Visitors and patients who choose to wear their own clean, well-fitting mask (N95 or KN95) will be permitted to do so. Individuals who refuse to properly wear a mask will not be permitted entry.

Healthcare workers will still have to abide by all current PPE requirements, including wearing a mask.

We care for the most vulnerable and immunocompromised members of our community. With COVID still transmitting in our community, taking a slow approach to lifting restrictions is the way to protect those we serve.

The province has also indicated that all mask mandates, including those with residual masking, will end on April 27. Although provincial directives are being lifted, individual organizations will have the authority to keep requirements in place.

Recommendations from Public Health Ontario will continue to guide hospitals in their decision-making, as prior to the pandemic. We will continue to work with our regional hospital partners to ensure alignment and take epidemiological trends into consideration for the next evolution of our PPE requirements. More information will be provided when available. We thank everyone for their continued vigilance.

Hospital visitors will be asked to wear the blue surgical masks provided for them when they enter the hospital, and are no longer allowed to wear cloth masks. This will ensure alignment and universality of wearing a three-layer mask. As always, we are following guidance and direction from the Ministry of Health to ensure all are protected. 

Click here for information on how to properly wear a mask.