Visits at Long-Term Care and Retirement Homes
The Ontario government is allowing visits to long-term care homes, retirement homes, and other residential care settings. All visits in all settings will be subject to strict health and safety protocols - see below for general information and links to further details. Please contact the home you will be visiting to confirm their protocols. Do not visit your loved one if you are not feeling well.
Long-term care and retirement homes, as well as other residential care settings, must meet the following conditions before they welcome visitors:
- Homes must not be in outbreak.
- Homes must have an established process for communicating visitor protocols and the associated safety procedures.
- Homes must maintain the highest infection prevention and control standards.
In the event of an outbreak at an individual home or residential care setting, non-essential visits will be restricted.
To book an appointment for a COVID-19 test when required to visit your loved one, please contact the Assessment Centre nearest you or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
Long-Term Care Homes
For full details, see the COVID-19: Visiting Long-Term Care Homes page.
- Visits are limited to 2 people at a time per resident.
- Visits are allowed outdoors and indoors.
- All visitors will be required to be screened by staff before their visit.
- Outdoor Visits:
- Do not require visitors to have COVID-19 testing.
- Require visitors to bring and wear their own mask and physical distance.
- Indoor Visits:
- Require visitors to verbally attest to a staff member that they have received a negative COVID-19 test within the last 2 weeks and not subsequently tested positive (must have a negative COVID-19 test in the last 2 weeks).
- Require visitors to wear a medical mask that will be supplied by the home.
- All visits are by appointment only.
- Appointments may be time limited but cannot be restricted to less than 30 minutes.
- All short-term and temporary absences of residents for social or personal reasons need to be requested.
Retirement Homes
For full details, see the Retirement Home COVID-19 Visiting Policy.
- Visits are limited to 2 people at a time per resident.
- All visitors to the home are required to follow public health measures (e.g. active screening, physical distancing, hand hygiene, masking) for the duration of their visit in the home.
- Visitors should use a face covering/ mask if the visit is outdoors. If the visit is indoors, a surgical/ procedure mask must be worn at all times.
- Visitor admissions will vary from home to home depending upon their individual circumstances.
- All visitors will be actively screened by staff on entry to the home.
- COVID-19 testing is not required by visitors to retirement homes.
- All short-term and temporary absences of residents for social or personal reasons need to be requested.