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A Message for CDA Corporate Member Provincial Dental Associations
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Below is a snapshot of the Canadian Dental Association’s (CDA) pandemic work for the week ending September 18, 2020.
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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 minutes. Recorded: September 15, 2020.
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Key Points:
- Uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases across Canada has been associated with long weekends, travel and large gatherings, especially among teens and college-aged populations.
- Current hot spots: Quebec, Ontario (Peel region, Ottawa, Toronto and Waterloo), Alberta, followed by British Columbia. Clusters of outbreaks have been tracked back to the Toronto/Peel region, primarily as a result of travel.
- All indoor activities increase the risk of coming into contact with COVID-19, especially when masks and social distancing protocols are not enforced.
- To date, there have been no infections associated with dental offices in Canada. However, dental offices should be reminded of the importance of maintaining social distancing, both inside and outside the operatory, and to maintain screening vigilance.
Reminders:
- In July, CDA developed a 3-part poster series and team huddle notes, Be Vigilant Inside and Outside the Op!, for Corporate Member PDAs to adopt and co-brand, as deemed appropriate. Please consider reminding dental offices to place the posters in common areas, and to discuss the huddle notes, reminding staff of the importance of being vigilant. By working together, we can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
- As we head into the Fall and Winter months, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada indicate that it is important that the public, especially children, be encouraged to keep up with their health care and routine immunization schedules. Corporate Member PDAs are asked to bring this to the attention of member dentists to encourage these discussions with patients. Doing so can help protect the overall health of our populations.
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.
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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:
- information exchange on return-to-practice status across the country;
- strategies for obtaining and securing PPEs; and
- communications to the public on dentists returning to practice.
Update! Access to PPE
Canadian Level 1-3 Masks: More level-3 masks are now being manufactured in Canada. CDA has followed up with manufacturers directly.
One Ottawa-based company produces certified level 1, 2 and 3 masks and is supplying part of their product in the hospital system in Ontario. The manufacturer is not part of the dental supply chain, and to minimize the costs of its products, they are focusing on larger purchases that reduce overhead costs associated with invoicing and shipping. CDA has shared the information related to the products with interested Corporate Member PDAs.
Government procured PPE: Several Canadian companies have advised that they are discontinuing their efforts to develop new products for the Canadian market. The federal government has invested directly into securing the production of 3M N95 respirators in Ontario; however, it likely that a significant Canadian supply will not be ready until September 2021, at the earliest.
Reminder: The Task Force meetings have resumed as of September 11, 2020. The group continues to review and prioritize its list of deliverables. 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
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Advocacy
Upcoming! Speech from the Throne and Mandate Letters: Parliament was prorogued over the summer, with a reset beginning with the Speech from the Throne on September 23. At that time, the government will signal their priorities for dealing with the recovery phase for Canada’s economy and the public health of Canadians.
Among the areas that are currently rumoured to be a focus are child care, and a renewed emphasis on pharmacare with a specific focus on addressing the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19.
Mandate letters will be published shortly thereafter, giving direction to both the Ministers as well as their respective departments. It is anticipated that the Health and Finance Ministers will have their mandates significantly altered.
Among the items that CDA has underscored as a priority in the coming months are:
- A dedicated funding envelope of $3 Billion in the Canada Health Transfer to provide long-term funding of public oral health programs provided at the provincial and territorial level;
- An expansion of the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) to $80,000, with up to half of that amount being forgivable;
- Accelerated capital cost allowances to help defray the capital costs involved in enhancing the safety of workspaces and patient care areas in dental offices;
- Active support for access to PPE that recognizes that specific challenges of dental offices.
Update! Dentists as Essential Health Care Providers: In recent weeks, CDA has been pressing for the prioritization of dentistry as essential health care providers. This includes highlighting the need for dentists to receive priority access to a vaccine when it becomes available and ensuring that dental offices are not closed as part of any subsequent widespread mandated closures.
CDA co-signed a letter with the Extended Healthcare Providers Coalition, sent to the Prime Minister and the relevant ministers as well as the Chief Medical Officer of Health to express our joint concerns of the potential for care to be interrupted again.
Current Status: COVID-19 Federal Emergency Response Programs
- CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit): Sunsets on October 3, 2020, with a transition to a modified version of EI (Employment Insurance).
- CEBA (Canada Emergency Business Account): Will be extended and potentially expanded to those who didn’t previously qualify to receive it, especially business owners who used a personal bank account for their businesses.
- CECRA (Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance): Was extended by a month, with a view towards making sure more businesses are able to access the program. There remain significant concerns about the program’s effectiveness, and there are indications that a replacement program will potentially follow it.
- CEWS (Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy): Significant changes to the program were announced in July, which included extending the program through November 21, 2020, and expanding the number of businesses who could qualify to receive the assistance. The changes also allowed employers whose revenues were no longer down 30% or more, to continue to qualify on a sliding scale.
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CDSPI TripleGuardTM Insurance Pandemic Coverage:
Update: On September 15, 2020, CDSPI reported that pandemic claims have been completed. There have been $206 million in pandemic benefit payouts, with over 7,300 dental offices covered.
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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. The following videos were produced since CDA’s last COVID-19 email Update.
- Reopening Dentistry with Complete Aerosol Suppression
Dr. Alexander Yarin presents his groundbreaking findings that may entirely eliminate the risks posed by aerosol generation; explains the concept of risk elasticity; and walks through clear video evidence of aerosol suppression. (September 2, 2020)
- COVID-19: A review of the proposed pharmacological treatments
In this review, the authors discuss drug candidates that have been suggested to treat COVID-19, including anti-viral agents, immunomodulatory agents, and adjunctive agents, among others. (August 26, 2020)
- DIAC Survey – Canadian Dentists Resilient in the Face of COVID-19
Rhonda Lawson, DIAC Executive Director, gives more details on the most recent DIAC Survey which signalled a positive outlook for dentistry. (August 21, 2020)
- A Made-in-Canada Antimicrobial Coating for Masks
Dr. Scott Gray-Owen leads a team of scientists who have been testing an anti-microbial coating that can deactivate more than 99% of SARS-CoV-2 on the outer surface of medical masks. (August 20, 2020)
This week’s CDA Oasis Bulletin collated relevant and timely “news that you can use” related to COVID-19.
Reminder! CDA Essentials, Issue 5 is available online. Don’t forget to check out these articles pertaining to CDA’s efforts underway during the COVID-19 pandemic, and more:
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Mental Health and Wellness:
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to place strain on individuals and families across the country. It’s important to safeguard your mental health and overall wellness.
Access mental health and wellness support through CDSPI’s Members’ Assistance Program (MAP) via social media, its Help Desk service, and on its website. MAP can be accessed by calling 1.844.578.4040 or visiting www.workhealthlife.com.
Reminder: The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) offers credible information and resources about maintaining mental health during this difficult time. Visit the MHCC’s Resource Hub to find out what’s new, review mental health resources in response to COVID-19 (tip sheets; posters; webinars), get links to provincial mental health resources and workplace resources, and more.
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Free counselling, referral and information service for dentists, dental office employees, and their families.
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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.
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CDA COVID-19 Repository at a Glance:
New! The following resources have been added to the repository since August 14, 2020.
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
Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada
National Resources:
The Canadian Dental Association
- Reopening Dentistry with Complete Aerosol Suppression
Dr. Alexander Yarin presents his groundbreaking findings that may entirely eliminate the risks posed by aerosol generation; explains the concept of risk elasticity; and walks through clear video evidence of aerosol suppression. (September 2, 2020)
- COVID-19: A review of the proposed pharmacological treatments
In this review, the authors discuss drug candidates that have been suggested to treat COVID-19, including anti-viral agents, immunomodulatory agents, and adjunctive agents, among others. (August 26, 2020)
- DIAC Survey – Canadian Dentists Resilient in the Face of COVID-19
Rhonda Lawson, DIAC Executive Director, gives more details on the most recent DIAC Survey which signalled a positive outlook for dentistry. (August 21, 2020)
- A Made-in-Canada Antimicrobial Coating for Masks
Dr. Scott Gray-Owen leads a team of scientists who have been testing an anti-microbial coating that can deactivate more than 99% of SARS-CoV-2 on the outer surface of medical masks. (August 20, 2020)
The Conference Board of Canada
The Denturist Association of Canada
Provincial Dental Association / Regulatory Body Resources:
British Columbia Dental Association
- BCDA Member Update (September 17, 2020): Dentist Volunteer Needed for Ministry of Health MSP Audit Committee; BCDA Surveys; BCCDC COVID-19 Case Surveillance Maps
- BCDA Member Update (September 15, 2020): BCDA’s X-ray Inspection Program: Don’t Send the Inspector Away!; Condolences
- BCDA COVID-19 Member Update (September 10, 2020): Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) Extended; Registration Reminder: BCDA’s Annual (Virtual) Leadership Conference; BCCDC COVID-19 Case Surveillance Maps
- BCDA COVID-19 Member Update (September 3, 2020): Modernizing Professional Health Regulation in BC; BC Government Confirms Business Tax Measure Implementation Dates, Deferral Deadlines; CDSPI Article: Tips to Help Children Safely Return to School; BCDA Labour Day Office Closure
- BCDA COVID-19 Member Update (September 1, 2020): My Dentist Charged Me a PPE Fee! What is this? Will I be Billed Every Time?; Monthly BCDA Back to Work Survey; Foundations of a Strong Dental Team Webinar Recording Now Available; Registration Deadline Tomorrow! BCDA Special General Meeting; BCCDC COVID-19 Case Surveillance Maps; CDA Weekly Update; and more.
- BCDA COVID-19 Member Update (August 27, 2020): Provincial Government Releases Recommendations to Modernize Regulatory Framework for Health Professions; My Patient/Staff Member Tested Positive for COVID-19!; National Dental Report on Evidence to Support a Safe Return to Practice; July 2020 BCDA Survey Results; Your Input is Critical – The More We Have, the More We Can Do; and more.
- BCDA COVID-19 Member Update (August 25, 2020): Tomorrow's Webinar: Planning for a 2nd Wave - Foundations of a Strong Dental Team; Dental Office Posters: Be Vigilant Inside and Outside the Op!; Checklist for COVID-19 Safety in Dental Office Common Areas; Child Care Support for Essential Workers; Save the Dates! BCDA’s Annual (Virtual) Leadership Conference, presented by the Women in Dentistry Mentorship Program Committee (WinDMP); and more.
- BCDA COVID-19 Member Update (August 20, 2020): Federal Government Introduces New Proposed COVID-19 Recovery Benefits; Deadline Extended: Health Worker Experiences of Discrimination in Health Care Services; Take-Aways: August 19 BCDA Webinar; Next Webinar: Planning for a 2nd Wave - Foundations of a Strong Dental Team; Dentist Wellness Program (DWP) Peer Support Session; and more.
Dental Association of PEI
New Brunswick Dental Society
- President's Message (September 17, 2020): Public Health; Essential Workers; CDA Oasis; and other important reminders
- Bi-Weekly Update (September 3, 2020): Virtual Zoom Care; Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Extension; Interesting Articles and more.
- President's Message (August 20, 2020): Bi-Weekly Update; Meeting with Public Health Officials; World Health Organization; Advisory Committee; Fee Guide 2021; and more.
Newfoundland & Labrador Dental Association
- NLDA COVID-19 UPDATE (September 16, 2020): DMC Meeting; RBC - Estate Planning in a COVID 19 Environment; Pandemic Fatigue; and Virtual Oral Health Convention.
- NLDA COVID-19 Update (September 9, 2020): Rotational Workers; Pandemic Fatigue: School Reopening; Mental Health and Wellness; and Virtual Oral Health Convention
Ontario Dental Association
- Weekly COVID-19 Update (September 16, 2020): ODA President Answers Your Questions; New Resource Round-Up; Province Acts on Rising Number of COVID-19 Cases; ODA in the News; Order Safe and Reliable PPE.
- Weekly COVID-19 Update (September 9, 2020): Return-to-Practice Toolkit Updated; Reminder: New Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development Inspection Module; Ontario Extends COVID-19 Temporary Layoff Period: What You Need to Know; CEBA Application Deadline Extended; Member Access to PPE
- Updated Toolkit Now Available (September 4, 2020): ODA Return-to-Practice Toolkit Updated – Download version 5.0
- Weekly COVID-19 Update (September 2, 2020): New Resource! Ministry of Labour Inspection Module; ODA Submission to the Ontario Government; Clarification on Seniors Dental Program Announcement; Updated CDHO Guidance; It’s Back-to-School Time: Stay Vigilant; Access PPE and More Through ODA Supply Hub; Reminder: New Employment and Legal Resources Available
- Weekly COVID-19 Update (August 26, 2020): New Resource: Legal FAQs; Results of the Fourth Member Survey; Members’ Assistance Program: You Are Not Alone; Ministry of Finance Consultation; ODA in the News; PPE Access for Members; and more.
- Weekly COVID-19 Update (August 19, 2020): New Employment Resource; General Council Highlights; Exclusive Access to Masks, Gowns and Other PPE; ODA Response to WHO Guidance; CDA Update; and more.
- ODA and CDA Respond to WHO Message (August 18, 2020): It’s clear. Canadians can see their dentist.
Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO)
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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.
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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.
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