COVID-19 Safety Protocol

“Guidelines to Return to Practice” have been implemented and are based on CMTBC, BC Centre for Disease Control, WorkSafeBC and Provincial Health Officer.

Reminder

• Always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow, with or without a mask.

• Throw used tissues in the trash

• Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available clean your hands with hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Physical distancing

• A maximum of 5 practitioners and 1 staff employee will be permitted on-site at any one time. This will in turn limit the number of patients in our space throughout the day and at any one time.

• Maintain physical distance of 2-metres to others

Minimizing physical contact

• No handshakes, hugs or high-fives

• Physical contact is allowed only when necessary for the execution of your appointment or as considered essential for your medical care

• An 8-ft transparent barrier "sneeze/cough guard” has been installed at the reception desk to ensure the safety of our staff and clients. Please do not touch this barrier.

Limiting bodies in common areas; staggered appointments

• Maximum of 1 person in the waiting area

• Patients will be asked to arrive to the clinic at, and not prior to their appointment time

• Patients will not be permitted to wait in the reception area

• Maximum of 1 person behind the reception desk

• Maximum of 1 person in the dispensary/lab area

• Practitioners and staff will make every effort to stagger appointment start times, and must schedule buffer time between appointments to minimize cross-travel and patient traffic

• Practitioners are advised to NOT attend the clinic when not on shift.

Telehealth/virtual appointments

• Whenever and wherever possible and appropriate, practitioners and patients should execute sessions via telehealth, or videoconferencing virtual appointments

• In-person visits may be executed only at the discretion of the practitioner providing the service.

Supplement/Dispensary orders & pickups

• Dispensary orders can be called or emailed to our front desk (604-685-1181, info@evokemedicine.com or directly to your practitioner) and will require pre-payment on an authorized credit card. Orders will be left at our clinic door for pickup. Please confirm with us that you have collected your package.

Patient pre-screening, screening & touchless payments

• Touchless payment in effect. Patients must have a valid credit card on file for touchless payment to be applied at the time of their appointment.

• Patients must submit to pre-screening and screening

• Patients will be asked to come alone to visits where possible

• All invoices will be emailed, and no hardcopy receipts or invoices will be issued

• No staff, practitioner or patient will be allowed on-site with any sign or symptom of illness.

• REMEMBER: if you have a cough, fever, difficulty breathing, DO NOT ENTER THE CLINIC.

Day of scheduled appointment

• DO NOT ENTER UNTIL YOUR CONFIRMED APPOINTMENT TIME

• Patients are required to wear a disposable/cloth mask.

• Upon entry into the clinic, patients must use hand sanitization stations and put their mask on, or the clinic can provide them with one for use during intake, assessment, and treatment.

• COMPLETE SELF-SCREENING QUESTIONS BEFORE ENTERING

• ONLY ENTER IF THERE ARE NO OTHER PERSONS IN THE RECEPTION AREA

• Dispose of your mask after you leave our clinic.

Washroom/sanitize hands

• Washrooms are on the other side of the elevator vestibule, women’s down the hallway to the right, men’s to the left

• Maximum occupancy of 3 people

• When washing hands, use a generous helping of soap and wash vigorously for 20-30 seconds.

Handwashing & hand sanitizer

• All persons entering the clinic will perform optimal hand disinfectant etiquette using a 70%+ alcohol-based hand sanitizing solution

• Before and after all appointments, all practitioners will perform optimal handwashing etiquette using soap, for 20 seconds or longer; OR perform optimal hand disinfectant etiquette using a 70% + alcohol sanitizing solution.

Cleaning high-touch surfaces

• All high-touch surfaces including, but limited to door handles, countertops, tables and desks will be cleaned with disinfectant solution every 2 hours or less by clinic employees

• All medical equipment will be cleaned with disinfectant solution before and after every use by practitioners

• Disposable equipment and supplies will be used and disposed of after 1 use when and where appropriate.

Treatment Room/Cleaning Protocol/Personal Protective Equipment

• Treatment room has been modified to contain only essential supplies during treatment

• Every surface that the therapist or the patient touches will be cleaned and sanitized between every treatment using an approved hard-surface disinfectant.

• Frequent and proper hand washing between every patient will be maintained; this includes after a massage, before touching a patient, after coughing, sneezing, touching the face, after using chemicals, and after touching any other items and surfaces within the clinic.

• As is common practice all linens, blankets, and hand towels used in treatments are laundered after every use.

• Social distancing cannot be upheld during a massage therapy treatment. For safe treatment minimizing transmission, the practitioner will wear required PPE. These items will be refreshed with each new treatment.

• 70% + alcohol sanitizing solution will be available in the treatment room.

Vulnerable Individuals

Be particularly mindful, those who are at the highest risk of getting very sick should stay at home:

• over 65, individuals in a care home or long term care facility

• underlying medical conditions – particularly if not well controlled

• chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma

• heart conditions

• immunocompromised

• severely obese

• diabetes

• chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis

• liver disease.

CONTACT INFORMATION

• CALL 811 for people who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or who require assistance with other health issues

• CALL 888-268-4319 (888-COVID19) for non-medical information on the virus covering everything from travel recommendations to social distancing TEXT 604-630-0300 for COVID-19 information.

CLICK THE LINKS TO STAY UP-TO-DATE:

BC Centre for Disease Control: http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/covid-19​

gallery/Documents/Guidelines%20and%20Forms/Guidelines%20and%20Manuals/Epid/CD%20Manual/Chapter%201%20-%20CDC/COVID19-Self-isolation-for-contacts-travellers.pdf

Health Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/being-prepared.html https://covid19.thrive.health/

WHO (World Health Organization): https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen

https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses#