COVID-19 Update for April 7, 2020 – 2:30pm

Health Workforce Matching Portal

Premier Doug Ford and Minister Christine Elliott said today that Ontario needs “all hands on deck” and is launching the Health Workforce Matching Portal to match and fill much-needed healthcare positions. The portal will match the availability and skillsets of frontline health care workers to the employers in need of assistance.

The government is looking for retired or non-active health care professionals, internationally educated health care professionals, students, and volunteers with health care experience. You can read the complete news release here.

If you or someone you know would like to volunteer, or if you are an employer looking for health care workers, you can register for the Workforce Matching Portal here.

Questions from Reporters

Minister Elliott was asked about a document obtained from the Ministry of Health that would prioritize beds if hospitals were beyond capacity; in particular, if people with underlying illnesses or disabilities like Parkinson’s or ALS would be prioritized lower than others.

The Minister of Health said she would never allow anyone with a disability or sickness to be treated differently than anyone else in the healthcare system. The Minister noted that it is a draft document that has not been reviewed or approved by Cabinet, that Ontario is doing well so far in the fight against COVID-19 and is focused on continuing this positive trajectory.

The Premier was asked about a notice the government sent to hospitals asking them to keep used masks while it examines whether or not they can be properly sanitized. Ford said it’s better to be safe than sorry and mentioned that there is a company in Ottawa that is disinfecting and sanitizing masks. He said it is a potential option but “we aren’t there yet.”

3M Deal Reached

Premier Ford said the deal struck late yesterday between 3M and the U.S. administration last night to allow for further shipments of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Ontario was welcome news.

Ontario’s Manufacturing Might

Premier Ford took the time to thank Ontario organizations that have made sizable contributions in the fight against COVID-19. These include:

• Guelph University, with a donation of 10,000 N95 masks;
• Algonquin College, with a donation of 125,000 gloves and 75,000 masks;
• Niko Apparel, Coppley Apparel and Fellfab, which have joined forces to make masks and gowns for local hospitals;
• Ontario Power Generation (OPG), which has partnered with Ontario Tech University to make face shields for 3D printers; and
• Bruce Power and OPG, which have donated masks.

Ford also announced that he personally picked up the first batch of medical masks from Woodbridge Auto Group’s factory in Vaughn.

If you have any questions about this update please let us know.

The Enterprise Team