COVID-19 Updates for Veterinarians from the College

The practice of veterinary medicine is regulated under the Veterinarians Act and Regulations under the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). Provincial directives during the pandemic for veterinary practices have been as businesses. Where the province refers to health care workers, they are referring to those professions regulated under the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) under the Ministry of Health.

Details from the Province of Ontario on continuing COVID-19 public health measures and advice can be found at:  https://covid-19.ontario.ca/public-health-measures and COVID-19 and workplace health and safety measures are found at: https://www.ontario.ca/page/covid-19-workplace-health-safety

In delivering veterinary care to animals, veterinarians are reminded to continue to meet or exceed public health guidance from the province and local public health units. As well, please be attentive to your safety and that of your staff and your clients when choosing how to deliver services. Individual organizations, including veterinary facilities, may implement their own rules and policies about public health measures within their settings.

It is expected that veterinary practices will operate in accordance with all applicable laws, including the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the regulations made under them. 

Please contact your local public health unit for further information about COVID-19. Further details are available from the Province of Ontario. https://covid-19.ontario.ca/public-health-measures

SARS-CoV-2 in Animals Dashboard February 24, 2022

The SARS-CoV-2 in Animals Dashboard is a public interface that displays cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections in animals in Canada, which are confirmed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease. The dashboard is interactive and can be searched by species, province and date or time period.

https://cahss.ca/cahss-tools/sars-cov-2-dashboard

Helpful suggestions for challenging times April 29, 2021

The College, in discussion with veterinarians, has the following suggestions that may assist you with delivering your services during a demanding time. As professionals, the College trusts you to use your judgement in determining what is appropriate and manageable for your practice.

https://cvo.informz.ca/informzdataservice/onlineversion/ind/bWFpbGluZ2luc3RhbmNlaWQ9MTI2NzgwMSZzdWJzY3JpYmVyaWQ9OTA2NDc3NzM0

Supporting conversations with clients during COVID-19 April 21, 2020

During these challenging times of service restrictions and maintaining strict public health measures, communication with animal owners is key in the efforts to minimize risk to animal health and human health.

Download Resource (PDF)

OVMA's 2021 Practice Guide to Mitigating Risk of Infection during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Guided prepared by Dr. Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM, University of Guelph, and the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association.

https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2021/06/articles/miscellaneous/new-update-a-guide-to-mitigating-the-risk-of-infection-in-veterinary-practices-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/