MEMO: TIKINAGAN PANDEMIC MEASURES – UPDATE

Date: April 1, 2022

To: All Staff

Re: TIKINAGAN PANDEMIC MEASURES – UPDATE

Our region continues to experience high numbers of cases of COVID-19 including outbreaks in many of the remote communities we serve. As a result, Tikinagan will keep all current pandemic measures in place until the end of April 2022 including:

  • Staff at all Tikinagan offices are to work remotely and only go into offices if necessary for essential/urgent tasks and only when approved by a Manager. Furthermore, meetings, gatherings or internal and external contacts in-office or off-site should be done virtually or by phone and NOT in-person wherever possible.
  • Staff are reminded to follow the measures in our Return to Workplace protocol for any essential in-office work, including completing the Daily Health Screening before entering our offices (do not go to the office if you answer Yes to any of the screening questions), not coming to the office if you or someone in your household is ill, using hand-sanitizer upon entry and exit, wearing a mask and washing your hands frequently.
  • Please note that we currently have enhanced masking measures requiring staff attending Tikinagan offices to wear an N95 or KN95 or two disposable masks (not cloth ones) except when at your desk. Furthermore, if you share an office or work in an open space with others, you must wear masks at all times.
  • Also a reminder that eye protection (faceshield or goggles) and enhanced masking (N95, KN95 or double disposable masks) are required for work-related duties as follows:
    o any time you enter someone’s home or
    o need to be closer than 6 feet to someone not wearing a mask, e.g. carrying a baby or toddlers
    o providing care to a client in a hotel or transporting a client in a vehicle or other closed in space.
  • If staff or someone living or staying with them travel outside of Canada we require that staff NOT attend Tikinagan offices, drive Tikinagan vehicles or have in-person contact with staff or clients for 14 days after their return or the arrival of anyone staying with them who travelled outside of Canada.
  • If a Tikinagan employee contracts COVID-19 (tests positive on a Rapid or PCR Test) or is a close contact to someone who tests positive for COVID-19 they cannot attend a Tikinagan office/facility, use a Tikinagan vehicle, or have in-person contact with staff or clients for 5 days after testing positive or 5 days after last contact with someone who has tested positive. For AOH staff, they are restricted from working in an AOH for a 10 day period. Staff person must also follow any additional advice of health officials regarding self-isolation or other restrictions.
  • Staff are reminded to consult and follow the Service Contingency Plan to deliver services. Inperson
    contact with clients should only occur when necessary.
  • Premium Pay is in place when caring for a child in care or any in-person contact with
    clients. Please see attached Premium Pay policy.
  • And a reminder that if staff are tested for COVID-19, they are required to promptly notify
    their supervisor, PPE Chair Arlene McClendon, Christina Zatorsky & HR Manager Sarah Morin.
  • Tikinagan staff are also required to follow any local pandemic measures put in place. Please
    keep your supervisor up to date on outbreaks or any changes to pandemic measures in your
    community.

Please note above list contains enhanced measures in excess of provincial requirements or previous
Tikinagan measures and where they conflict the higher levels prescribed above are to be followed.

Attached are the Pandemic Measures in the Workplace Protocol (formerly called the Return to the
Workplace Protocol) the Services Contingency Plan, the AOH Staffing Shortage Contingency Plan as
well as recent information regarding Premium Pay, employees testing positive or close contact with
positives and PPE.

I know the pandemic has impacted our personal and work lives in so many ways. While there has
been progress such as increasing vaccination rates to help lessen the impact and spread of COVID-
19, we are not yet at a point where we can eliminate pandemic measures. Keeping staff, clients and
our communities safe needs to continue to be a priority. Stay safe and take care of yourselves and
your families.