TORONTO — Family and friends will be allowed to visit people in long-term care homes, retirement homes and other residential care settings beginning June 18.
Visits have been restricted since mid-March due to COVID-19, with only essential visitors permitted to enter.
According to details released by the province on June 11, long-term care homes will allow at least one outdoor visitor per resident each week.
Retirements homes will resume indoor and outdoor visits in designated areas or resident suites when physical distancing is possible.
Other residential care settings will be allowed outdoor visits of two people at a time.
“Thanks to the hard work of our frontline workers and the collective efforts of everyone in stopping the spread, we can now allow families to reunite with their loved ones safely and in person with strict public health measures to protect residents, visitors and staff,” said Premier Ford.
“But I ask everyone to be cautious and act responsibly as the battle to contain COVID-19 is not over and the risk to our loved ones still remains.”
Visitors will have to abide by strict health and safety protocols, including screening each time they visit and confirming with staff that they have tested negative for COVID-19 within the previous 14 days.
Visitors will also be required to bring and wear a face covering during visits.
To resume allowing visitors, long-term care homes, retirement homes and other residential care settings must meet these conditions:
- they must not be in an outbreak;
- they must have an established process for communicating visitor protocol and safety procedures; and
- homes must maintain the highest infection prevention and control standards.
Additionally, visitor admissions for retirement homes will vary from home to home depending on their individual circumstances.
Other residential care settings will also be allowed visitors under similar rules.
These residential care settings include homes serving people with developmental disabilities, shelters for survivors of gender-based violence, and children’s residential settings.
“We know the visitor restrictions have been tough on residents, as families and loved ones play an important role in providing care and emotional support to residents,” said long-term care minister Dr. Merilee Fullerton.
“We are confident these visits can occur safely.”
Fullerton added, “With the possible spread of COVID-19 in our long-term care homes still being a real threat, people will need to follow strict health and safety protocols in order to protect our most vulnerable.”
If an outbreak occurs at one of these facilities, the government says they will restrict non-essential visits.If a second wave of COVID-19 occurs, visitors will be restricted from all homes.
