Temporary PSW Support, Cybersecurity Resources and Updated COVID school + child care screening guidance
PSW Temporary Wage Support Coming
The Ontario government will be additionally supporting personal support workers (PSWs) and direct support workers in the home and community care, long-term care, public hospitals, and social services sectors by investing $461 million to temporarily enhance wages. This investment is intended will help the province attract and retain the workforce needed to care for patients, clients and residents in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We understand that the temporary wage enhancement will be reviewed on a regular basis and could extend through March 31, 2021, in connection with regulations made under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020.
AMO has had it confirmed by the province that all LTC homes – municipal, for-profit and non-profit homes are all included in the temporary PSW wage increase. We are expecting details on this new temporary program to be available shortly.
Cybersecurity Resources
Today is the beginning of Cyber Security Awareness Month. AMO/LAS is working very closely with the Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Government Services to make sure that the municipal sector is aware and informed on the growing cybersecurity challenges.
The AMO Board just released a toolkit on cybersecurity and we are hosting with MISA-ON an education day for councillors and senior staff on October 22nd.
The province has partnered with Ryerson University's Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, to address cyber security challenges through training and certification, commercial acceleration, support for cyber scale-ups, applied research and development, and public education. This collaboration will provide ongoing cyber security support to Ontario's broader public sector, including the municipal sector, through innovative learning modules on the learning portal, www.cybersecurityontario.ca.
Updated COVID school and child care screening guidance
The Ontario government is updating its COVID-19 school and child care screening guidance. This additional information will help parents determine when it is most appropriate for students, children and their families to seek a test for COVID-19.
The school and child care screening guidance now will have two sets of questions about symptoms and information to help parents make informed decisions about whether their children should attend school or child care, need to consult a health care provider, or get tested for COVID-19. The guidance can be found immediately at the COVID-19 Screening Tool for Children in School and Child Care, and the refreshed online tool will launch on Friday, October 2 for download.
AMO’s COVID-19 Resources page is being updated continually so you can find critical information in one place. Please send any of your municipally related pandemic questions to covid19@amo.on.ca.