Health authorities and facility operators shall continue to support visitors for essential visits. Health Authority or Facility staff will determine if a visit is essential. Examples of essential visits include, but are not limited to:
- Visits for compassionate care, including critical illness, palliative care, hospice care, end of life, and medical assistance in dying
- Visits paramount to the patient/client’s physical care and mental well-being, including as follows:
- Assistance with feeding, mobility, personal care or communication;
- Assistance by designated representatives for persons with disabilities;
- Visits for supported decision making;
- Existing registered volunteers providing the services described above;
- Visits required to move belonging in/out of a resident's room;
- Police, correctional officers and peace officers accompanying a patient/client for security reasons.
Essential visits shall be limited to one visitor per patient/client within the facility at a time (except in the case of palliative/end of life care).
An essential visit is permitted in a care home/residence that has an active COVID-19 outbreak, under guidance and direction from the local medical health officer.