Coronavirus update - June 24, 2020

Coronavirus update - June 24, 2020

The COVID-19 situation in Nova Scotia is changing rapidly. Check the links at the bottom for the latest updates.

Feeling overwhelmed or need to talk to someone?
Contact the Doctors Nova Scotia (DNS) Professional Support Program at 902-468-8215 or 1-855-275-8215 (toll-free), via email or join the weekly Zoom meeting – see details below under webinars.

Doctors Nova Scotia will provide twice-weekly updates on Tuesdays and Thursdays unless significant news or issues warrant additional communication.

What’s new?

  • Today, no new cases of COVID-19 were announced, keeping the total confirmed cases in Nova Scotia at 1,061.
    • The last new case was on June 9, marking 15 days with no new infections
    • There are no active cases and 998 resolved cases
    • Two individuals are currently in hospital, one in ICU. The COVID-19 infection is resolved for both patients, but they remain in hospital
    • The total number of COVID-19 deaths in Nova Scotia is 63
    • To date, Nova Scotia has had 51,817 negative test results
    • The Council of Atlantic Premiers announced travel restrictions will be eased. Beginning Friday, July 3, interprovincial travel will be permitted within Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador for Atlantic Canadian residents without the requirement to self-isolate
  • Nationally, there are 101,963 total cases, 8,454 deaths and 2,482,869 Canadians tested for COVID-19.

Income stability program terminates July 13
Doctors Nova Scotia (DNS) has received notice that the government will terminate the Income Stability Program on July 13. The program was designed for the short-term and the government could terminate it whenever it deemed appropriate to do so, as per the Program Terms. DNS believes the removal of the program at this time is premature and would have favoured a phased approach, carefully correlated to the capacity of each discipline and each community to return to at least 70-80% capacity. DNS has asked the Deputy Health Minister Dr. Kevin Orrell, Health Minister Randy Delorey and Premier Stephen McNeil to work closely with the health authorities to address our concerns. Questions? Contact Jessica Moore.

Reducing physician administrative burden – three days left to share your views
The Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness is leading a pilot project to identify actions to reduce unnecessary administrative burden on Nova Scotia doctors. Take this 15-minute survey on the nature and impact of unnecessary administrative burden. The survey also asks physicians how COVID-19 has changed their practice and which changes should continue beyond the pandemic. Survey closes at 11:59 p.m. on Friday.

Webinars

DNS webinar recordings
If you missed the June 16 webinar “Obesity in the era of COVID-19,” you can listen to the recording of Dr. Laura Reardon’s presentation. She discussed why obesity increases the severity of COVID-19 and shared considerations and treatment plans for people living with obesity during the pandemic and beyond. Check out previous webinars on the DNS COVID-19 info hub.

Physician support session on Wednesdays

A weekly Zoom session on coping with COVID-19 is held on Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. and is open to all physicians. Click here for the Zoom meeting link Password is 975004                                          

Reminders

COVID-19 Signs, Symptoms and Severity of Disease – A Clinician Guide – June 18, 2020
The contents of the attached guide provide clinicians with information on what is presently known about the clinical features of COVID-19, including presentation, risk factors and the spectrum of disease severity. Based on available scientific evidence, the information is informed by expert opinion and is subject to change as new information becomes available.

Take vacation on the Income Stability Program
Physicians can take a short leave of absence from their practice during the pandemic (see Clause 18 of the Income Stability Program), provided the leave is approved in advance and in writing by the Department of Health and Wellness. Email requests to Vimy Glass. Program payments will continue during the leave.

CMA Wellness Support Line
The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has launched a Wellness Support Line, providing confidential and bilingual mental health support to physicians, medical learners and their families. Funded by Scotiabank and MD Financial Management, the line is linked with the DNS Professional Support Program (PSP) and is available 24-7 to offer physicians enhanced support, such as crisis counselling and risk assessment. You don’t need to be a CMA member to call. To use the service, call the PSP at 902-468-8215 or 1-855-275-8215 (toll-free).

Update on personal protective equipment
The Department of Health and Wellness will be supplying community-based physicians and their staff with personal protective equipment (PPE) at no cost for the next 90 days. Click here to submit a request for PPE. When your request is processed, your organization’s primary contact will be notified by email of the approved supply that can be accessed and instructions to set up online ordering. For more information, email PPErequest@novascotia.ca.

Balint support group
The Nova Scotia Physicians’ Balint group is led by Drs. Nicole Herschenhous and Ali Manning. Interested in future Balint groups? Email alexandra.manning@nshealth.ca to add your name to the interest list. 

Medical students provide companionship to isolated patients
The Rural and Isolated Support Endeavor (RISE) matches patients with medical students from across Canada who provide weekly phone calls to provide emotional support and companionship.

DNS staff, meetings and events
All DNS meetings and events are cancelled or have moved to a virtual meeting. You may reach staff by email or by calling 902-468-1866 or toll free at 1-800-563-3427.

Resources

Information hubs to watch