MEMO: TIKINAGAN PANDEMIC MEASURES – UPDATE
MEMO: TIKINAGAN PANDEMIC MEASURES – UPDATE
Date: December 7, 2021
To: All Staff
From: Thelma Morris, Executive Director
Re: TIKINAGAN PANDEMIC MEASURES – UPDATE
With increasing cases in the region and the province, Tikinagan will be taking extra precautions until the end of January 2022.
Effective immediately, 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 unless absolutely necessary. For example, work-related in-person contact off-site is NOT allowed, including off-site Tikinagan Christmas gatherings.
Pandemic measures specific to service delivery are being discussed and any changes will be communicated.
Tikinagan will also be keeping all other pandemic measures in place until at least the end of January 2022 including:
- All staff will work remotely and must be available during work hours.
- Staff are reminded to follow the measures in our Return to Workplace protocol for any urgent 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.
- Also please note that our enhanced measures requires staff attending Tikinagan offices or attending to work-related duties to use 3 or 4 ply disposable masks not reusable cloth ones and that you wear a disposable mask whenever you leave your desk or office. Furthermore, if you share an office or work in an open space with others, you must wear a disposable mask at all times.
- Also a reminder that face-shields are required for work-related duties as follows:
- any time you enter someone’s home or
- need to be closer than 6 feet to someone not wearing a mask, e.g. carrying a baby or toddler.
- Please consult the recent memo circulated regarding PPE requirements.
- 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.
- Staff are reminded to consult and follow the Service Contingency Plan to deliver services. In-person contact with clients should only occur when necessary.
- Premium Pay is in place for in-person responses to households with a confirmed positive or providing care to a child in care in an AOH or other premises.
- And a reminder that if staff are tested for COVID-19, they are required to promptly notify their supervisor, PPE Chair Arlene McClendon, PPE Member Amanda Friesen & HR Manager Sarah Morin.
- Tikinagan staff are also required to follow any local pandemic measures put in place.
An updated version of the Pandemic Measures in the Workplace Protocol (formerly call the Return to the Workplace Protocol) will be distributed later this week and posted on the staff portal. An updated Services Contingency Plan is also being prepared and will be distributed soon as well.
With the Christmas season approaching, extra precautions in our work and personal lives will help us avoid increased spread of the virus and prevent lock-downs or other provincial measures that would impact our Christmas celebrations. Please continue to take care and follow all local, regional, provincial and federal public health safety measures. Stay safe and stay healthy!