A Message for CDA Corporate Member Provincial Dental Associations

Below is a snapshot of the Canadian Dental Association’s (CDA) pandemic work for the week ending October 16, 2020.

This Week’s Fast Facts: COVID-19 Situational Report

CDA’s COVID-19 Team Lead, Dr. Aaron Burry, Associate Director for Professional Affairs, provides a situational report of COVID-19 across Canada. Click on the button below to listen.

COVID-19 Situational Update by Dr. Aaron Burry. Length: Approximately 7.5 minutes. Recorded: October 13, 2020.

Key Points:

Canada is currently in a Fall resurgence of COVID-19, affecting many provinces at greater levels than seen earlier this Spring. As expected, and as individuals move indoors, the risk of spreading and contracting the virus goes up.

A significant community transmission hot spot extends from Quebec City to Windsor Ontario, with outbreaks now spreading between communities.

Healthcare capacity issues are being experienced in Ontario and Quebec. Unlike the Spring, the healthcare system has now a higher proportion of alternate level of care patients (i.e. individuals in a hospital bed who require access to a long-term care (LTC) facility that is currently unavailable), as well as other patients already in hospital needing care. As a result, physicians have been reaching out to government, raising concerns around the increase in community transmissions and outbreaks in LTC facilities, at a time where hospitals do not have the capacity to respond to a surge in COVID-19 cases requiring hospitalization.

Dentistry must remain vigilant and dental offices should be reminded of the following:

• continue to take the pandemic seriously;
• remain cautious inside and outside the operatory; and
• continue to manage the dental office space using all necessary protocols, including maintaining screening protocols; social distancing, and only having the necessary number of people in the dental office at a time.

Advocacy

On October 9, 2020, the Federal Government announced new and additional financial supports regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the announcements were two key programs that align with CDA’s recent policy “asks” of the government:

Expanded: The Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) will be expanded, allowing businesses that continue to be affected by COVID-19 to access an additional interest-free loan of up to $20,000 on top of the previous $40,000 CEBA. Half of the additional $20,000 would be forgivable, if repaid by December 31, 2022.

Extended: The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy has been extended until June 2021. The subsidy remains at the current subsidy rate of up to a maximum of 65% of eligible wages until December 19, 2020.

New! The Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy replaces the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program, with a more simplified version that provides easier-to-access rent and mortgage support until June 2021. The new rent subsidy would support businesses, charities, and non-profits that have suffered a revenue drop, by subsidizing a percentage of their expenses, on a sliding scale, up to a maximum of 65% of eligible expenses until December 19, 2020. A top-up of 25% will be available for organizations temporarily shut down by a mandatory public health order. CDA is closely monitoring and seeking clarity on further information regarding the launch date and administration.

Update! The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) will transition into an EI program, and within the enabling legislation states that individuals who have “failed to return to their employment when it was reasonable to do so” or who have “declined a reasonable offer to work” would not be eligible for these new benefits.

The CDA federal funding (i.e. Roadmap) webpages will be updated with the latest information in the near future.

CDA’s Return to Practice Task Force ("The Task Force"):

The Task Force includes representatives from all Corporate Member provincial dental associations (PDAs). The Task Force works together to discuss deliverables for:

1. information exchange on return-to-practice status across the country;
2. strategies for obtaining and securing PPEs; and
3. communications to the public on dentists returning to practice.

Reminder! Vigilance, Vigilance, Vigilance: This week, the Task Force discussed the need for dental offices to be super vigilant due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in some parts of Canada. Dental offices should consider the following:

• Adjust or add patient screening questions as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve: For example, at this point intime, there is an outbreak in Moncton, New Brunswick, with many individuals from PEI routinely visiting Moncton. PEI dentists have recently added a question to patient screening protocols, asking whether there has been recent travel to Moncton.
• Dental office staff should not let their guard down in non-clinical areas, such as the lunchroom or other common areas. Staff should be encouraged to wear masks, maintain social distancing, regularly clean their hands, etc.

Update! Ongoing Challenges in Dental Supply Chain:

• Gloves are increasingly becoming hard to find.
• A glass shortage is having an impact on some dental items that are packaged in bottles. It is recommended that dental offices allow enough lead time for orders to avoid running into further delays.

Any specific expectations or special requests of the Task Force should be fed forward by Corporate Member PDAs to their PDA member Task Force representative.

A preview of one poster in the Be Vigilant Inside and Outside the Op! series. Colours and text may vary as PDAs may adapt the materials for use by their member dentists. Dentists should be encouraged to use the posters and to discuss the importance of being vigilant with their staff.

Knowledge and Information Broker:

CDA Oasis is CDA’s primary channel of communication for delivering urgent information to the dental community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

New! CDA Essentials, Issue 6 is now available online. Here are some of the edition’s highlights:

• Starting a Dental Career During COVID-19;
• By the Numbers: Business Recovery from the Pandemic;
• Your COVID-19 Questions Answered;
• Being Vigilant Inside and Outside the Op; and
• Investigating an Increase in Tooth Fractures During COVID-19.

Mental Health and Wellness:

With the ever-evolving events around the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all experiencing varying degrees of a normal reaction to an abnormal event. In times of high anxiety and stress, it’s more important than ever to safeguard your mental wellness.

Reminders!

CDA Oasis published the following videos. Be sure to check them out:

• Controlled Breathing to Cope with Stress:
  Dr. Bruce Freeman shares few insights on the management of stress. He walks through the proven techniques of box breathing and hyper focusing and highlights their benefits to both dentists and their patients. (October 7, 2020)
• Controlled Breathing to Cope with Stress:
  Dr. Uche Odiatu highlights some of the less well-known benefits of regular exercise - such as an enhanced immunity, a surge in positive life messages, and boosted energy levels - and introduces the concept of exercise snacking. (September 28, 2020)

Individuals can also access mental health and wellness support through CDSPI’s Members’ Assistance Program (MAP) by calling 1.844.578.4040 or visiting www.workhealthlife.com. MAP provides a variety of resources to help individuals deal with life's challenges. It is a confidential counselling, referral and information service for individuals who are dealing with mental health challenges or need advice on topics such as physical fitness, nutrition or parenting. MAP services and resources are offered through Shepell, Canada’s largest provider of Employee and Family Assistance Programs.

CDA Help Desk:

CDA’s Help Desk continues to assist dentists and dental office employees on how to navigate and access federal government support programs.

For assistance, please call 1-866-232-0385, M-F, 7:30 A.M. – 8:00 p.m. EDT.

CDA COVID-19 Repository at a Glance:

CDA serves as a COVID-19 Repository for Corporate Member PDAs by collecting advice and available COVID-19 resources from external organizations and any sources that PDAs wish to share. The information is placed in the Repository and is exclusively available for use by the PDAs, for onward transmission to their respective dentist members, as deemed appropriate.

For quick reference, the following materials have been added to the Repository this week. For the complete resource listing, please log in to view them all. Login details on how to access the Repository are below.

International Resources:

American Dental Association:

• News Release: Report Finds COVID-19 Rate Among Dentists is Less than One Percent (October 15, 2020)
• Should I Be Vaccinated for COVID-19? Information for Dental Professionals’ Consideration (October 8, 2020)

(CDC) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Website content: How COVID-19 Spreads (October 5, 2020)

Mental Health and Wellness Resources:

Canadian Dental Association:

• Controlled Breathing to Cope with Stress:
  Dr. Bruce Freeman shares few insights on the management of stress. He walks through the proven techniques of box breathing and hyper focusing and highlights their benefits to both dentists and their patients. (October 7, 2020)
• Controlled Breathing to Cope with Stress:
  Dr. Uche Odiatu highlights some of the less well-known benefits of regular exercise - such as an enhanced immunity, a surge in positive life messages, and boosted energy levels - and introduces the concept of exercise snacking. (September 28, 2020)

Conference Board of Canada

• Podcast Series Episode 41, Carrying On: Mental Health Strategies for COVID-19: Coping skills considerations

National Resources:

The Conference Board of Canada

• Bright Future Podcast Series: Dr. Susy Hota on getting through the second wave (October 4, 2020): To avoid a second lockdown, we need to make better use of the tools we already have: distance, hygiene, and masks. Focus on our common goal to get through the coming winter: short-term pain for long-term gain.

Provincial Dental Association / Regulatory Body Resources:

British Columbia Dental Association

• Member Update (October 15, 2020): COVID-19 Transmission in Dental Clinic, Changes to Sun Life Dental Claims, and more.
• Member Update (October 13, 2020): Vigilance Outside the Office, New Government Supports, Labour & Employment Law Webinar
• Member Update (October 8, 2020): Changes to EI & New Recovery Benefits, Federal Dental Care Program, Discount on Safety Eyewear, and more.
• Member Update (October 6, 2020): Fall Issue of the bridge, Webinar on Employee Engagement, New Recovery Benefits, and more.

New Brunswick Dental Society

• President's Message (October 15, 2020): Public health; Changes to Infection Control Guidelines; DAL Research Study; and more.
• COVID-19 Update (October 13, 2020): Government of NB declare Zones 1 & 5 to revert back to the Orange phase;

Nova Scotia Dental Association:

• NSDA News Brief (October 15, 2020): MSI Children's Oral Health Program Survey; CDA Response to Sun Life Changes; Update on information for all Interim Federal Health Program Health-Care Providers, Temporary Document for Lost/Stolen Refugee Protection Claimant Document due to COVID-19
• NSDA News Brief (October 5, 2020): Dental Team Wellness & Resilience – A 4-Part Series; Recording of Town Hall on MSI Dental Programs; and more

Ontario Dental Association

• COVID-19 Update (October 15, 2020): Helping you through the second surge; Stock up on PPE and other supplies; Amplifying your voice: Ontario’s Fall 2020 Budget consultations; Dental hygienists can now treat their spouses; and more.
• COVID-19 Update: Wave Two and the Dental Practice (October 14, 2020)
• Message from the President and the Working Group Chair: Protecting Your Practice and Patients During the Second Surge (October 10, 2020)
• Weekly COVID-19 Update (October 7, 2020): ODA Seeks Clarity from Public Health Ontario; Sample Respiratory Protection Program: What You Need to Know; Stay Vigilant this Thanksgiving Weekend; Take a Deep Dive into Mental Illness Awareness; Resource on Canada Recovery Benefits Legislation; Stock up on PPE; CDA update; and more.

Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO)

• COVID-19 Update: Provincial Government Announces New Regional Restrictions (October 14, 2020)
• COVID-19 Update – new provincial measures (October 9, 2020)

Access to COVID-19 Repository: PDA Executive Directors, Corporate Member Presidents and select staff, and CDA Board Members have access to the CDA COVID-19 Repository via the CDA Board Resource Website.

The link to access the CDA COVID-19 Repository: https://boardresources.ca/covid/.

Log-in: Please use your existing CDA Board Resources login credentials to access the COVID-19 Repository.

If you have trouble logging in, or require a login for someone in your organization who would like access, please email Dean Smith, CDA Manager of Information Technology, dsmith@cda-adc.ca.

Share: To include your organization’s resources in the COVID-19 Repository, please email Zelda Burt, CDA Communications Manager, zburt@cda-adc.ca.

The CDA COVID-19 Response Team works diligently on a range of fronts to help minimize and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on the dental profession. CDA is working to address scientific, clinical, economic and business-related matters impacting dentistry, including efforts to increase awareness about the mental health and wellness of dentists, their families and dental office employees during these challenging times. CDA will communicate regular updates as new information becomes available.