COVID-19 (coronavirus): Information & frequently asked questions

In order to ensure the safety of our patients and staff, there will be no visitors permitted at Sunnybrook during the COVID-19 pandemic, until further notice. This includes family members or companions accompanying patients to appointments or procedures. We understand that this is a difficult change for those with loved ones who need to be in the hospital, but it is an important precaution being put in place to ensure the safety of all those at Sunnybrook, including our sickest and most vulnerable patients.

Some exceptions will be allowed in certain areas of the hospital. If an exception below is met, only one visitor will be allowed per patient. To protect our patients and staff, these visitors will not be permitted into the hospital if they have symptoms of illness.

• Parent of a baby in the NICU: One parent may be with their baby at all times, including overnight, provided the parent is asymptomatic
• Birthing partner of a woman in labour
• Visitor for an imminently dying patient (i.e. expected within 48 hours)

Visitation is not permitted to patients with known or suspected COVID-19 or any other condition that requires the visitor to use PPE. 

We are screening all patients for symptoms at the door. We will also be restricting access to specific doors on all of our sites.

If you are feeling any of the below symptoms prior to your appointment, please call the clinic or health-care provider you are seeing. They can advise on next steps.

• Fever
• Cough
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Sore throat
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Bayview Campus

Patients are only be able to access our Bayview Campus using the below entrances:

• M-Wing, First floor (main entrance) (M1)
• D-Wing, Ground floor (DG)
• T-Wing, east entrance

(Click map to view a larger version)

Our Emergency Department entrance is also open for those who are coming to Sunnybrook for emergency care.

COVID-19 Assessment Centre

Patients who are going to our COVID-19 Assessment Centre must only enter Sunnybrook through our U-Wing entrance. More information.

Veterans Centre & palliative care unit (Bayview Campus)

For information about our Veterans Centre and palliative care unit, please visit this page.

All other sites

For all other sites (the Holland Centre, St. John’s Rehab and the Reactivation Care Centre), screening will begin this week at the main entrances of each of these sites. Access will be restricted to the main entrance for all of these locations.

While we have restricted visitors to the hospital, we want to ensure that you stay connected with your loved one who is in the hospital during this time.

Below are are some ways you can stay connected.

Telephone calls:

There are no fees for local calls on bedside phones.

FaceTime or Google Hangouts:

If your loved one does not have their own device, let the care team know. We can help set up a “visit” on an iPad or Android that is carefully cleaned between uses.

Gift shop delivery:

Sunnybrook Gift Shop is open and it delivers to patient rooms at our Bayview Campus and Holland Centre. Send your loved one something to let them know you are thinking of them (ear buds and phone chargers are also available). 

Other:

There are other programs in development. Please check back here for updates.

Sunnybrook is safe for patients and staff, and the hospital remains open. However, Sunnybrook has taken some precautionary steps to reduce the number of people in the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include:

• Encouraging virtual health-care visits whenever possible
• Cancelling non-urgent visits to the hospital
• Screening for symptoms at hospital entrances
• Restricting visitors at all Sunnybrook campuses

In order to reduce the number of people in the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are encouraging our health-care teams to have virtual or phone visits with their patients whenever possible, and to postpone any non-urgent visits.

If you have an in-person appointment scheduled, please call your health-care provider’s office prior to your visit to ensure your appointment will go ahead as scheduled.

If you have any questions about your upcoming appointment, please contact your health-care provider’s office directly.

All patients who have a confirmed in-person appointment at the hospital will be screened for symptoms of COVID-19 prior to their appointment. This means someone from the clinic will phone you to see how you are feeling. On the day of your appointment, you will also be screened for symptoms at the door before entering the hospital.

If you have an upcoming appointment and are feeling unwell, please call your health-care provider ahead of your visit to discuss next steps.

Please be advised that due to COVID-19 visitor restrictions, family members or companions are not permitted to accompany patients to their in-person appointments.

Please note, we are also be restricting access to specific doors on all of our sites.

Patients can only access our Bayview Campus using the below entrances:

• M-wing, first floor (main entrance) (M1)
• D-Wing, ground floor (DG)
• T-Wing, east entrance

» View map of entrances

For all other sites (the Holland Centre, St. John’s Rehab and the Reactivation Care Centre), access is restricted to the main entrance.

Sunnybrook is now providing masks to all patients.

Patients who are coming to the hospital for appointments will be provided with a mask when entering the hospital. Patients may also choose to wear their own masks from home. 

Hospital in-patients will be provided with masks by their care team.

Masks provided to patients are not medical-grade masks, and therefore do not impact our mask supply for health-care workers. While these masks are not medical grade, they can still contain droplets (e.g. coughs, sneezes) produced by the person wearing it.

Sunnybrook has taken this precautionary step out of an abundance of caution. Masks can help prevent the spread of respiratory illness, including COVID-19, when important measures such as physical distancing are not possible.

» View information about properly and safely wearing a mask

Wearing masks during essential outings in the community

If you do not have respiratory symptoms, but would like to wear a mask when you are on essential outings in places where physical distancing is challenging (for example using transit), the Public Health Agency of Canada does acknowledge the use of non-medical masks as an additional precaution you can take to protect those around you. Wearing a non-medical mask may be used alongside other important practices to help curb the spread of COVID-19, such as physical distancing and hand washing.

While Sunnybrook is safe and remains open to our patients, we are taking some precautionary steps during the COVID-19 pandemic to help limit the number of people in the hospital during this time. This includes postponing of any non-urgent visits to the hospital.

If you have any questions about your specific situation, please contact your health-care provider directly for more information.

Our medical imaging team will contact you if your appointment needs to be rescheduled.

Your safety is our priority. Our Infection Prevention & Control team is diligent in ensuring the best practices are maintained to protect our patients and staff. This includes cleaning our equipment after each patient, cleaning surfaces often, restricting visitors and using the proper personal protective equipment when needed.

If you cannot attend your appointment, please call 416-480-4336 so we may offer the appointment time to someone else. Missing your appointment without notice not only puts others needing medical imaging at risk but also contributes to a significant cost for our health-care system.

In order to ensure the safety of patients and staff, all hospitals in Ontario are limiting the number of people in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that Sunnybrook will be postponing surgeries that may be done safely at a later time. All decisions to postpone surgeries have been made with careful consideration, in consultation with each patient’s health-care team. Surgeries will only be postponed if deemed medically safe.

A member of your health-care team will contact you if your surgery date is affected by these changes.

We understand this is not an ideal situation, and we appreciate your understanding during this time. If you have any questions about your upcoming surgery, please talk to your health-care provider directly for more information.

The provincial government has outlined a plan for resuming scheduled surgeries. 

Surgical activity in Ontario is not back up to pre-pandemic levels and it will still take some time to reschedule all surgeries that have been postponed due to the pandemic. Our teams carefully review patients each day and determine who requires urgent surgical care.

Thank you for your patience and ongoing understanding during this unprecedented time. If your condition changes please let your health-care provider know.

For your health, and for the safety of staff, we want to ensure you minimize your chance of getting COVID-19 in the time leading up to your surgery, procedure or treatment at the hospital. Please visit the resources below for instructions and information to help minimize your risk:

» Information for patients scheduled for surgery or a procedure at Sunnybrook

» Information for cancer patients starting new treatment

» View information about continued COVID-19 recovery at home

We are experiencing a high volume of phone calls. We understand that this is frustrating at this uncertain time. Thank you for your patience as our staff work to answer questions and re-book appointments.

You can still pick up your prescription at the pharmacies. Please note you will be screened at the door for symptoms.

You may see signage or tape on seats in waiting and dining spaces across the hospital. These restrictions have been put in place in common areas to signal physical distancing among patients.

In order to ensure the safety of our volunteers, patients, and staff, and in line with “physical distancing” guidelines, the hospital has made the decision to cancel all volunteer activities and roles at all hospital sites until further notice.

While family members and loved ones cannot visit patients, clothing and other items can be dropped off for patients at the following times and locations:

• Bayview campus: M1 entrance between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Holland Centre: front door screening desk between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday
• Veterans Centre: L-wing entrance screening desk between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday
• St. John’s Rehab: Main entrance between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday to Friday
• Reactivation Care Centre – Church Site: Please note that the RCC location is unable to accept drop offs of food or clothing for patients at this time.

You will need to be screened first, and you will not be allowed to enter the hospital. Place items in a bag labelled with patient’s name and unit; the bags will be delivered to units at regular intervals. Anything dropped off outside of these hours listed above will be delivered the following day.

A note about food items

Please note that only pre-packaged, non-perishable commercially prepared food items, or single-serving homemade food items, will be accepted. Food items must not require refrigeration or heating, and must be in a disposable container (containers and any leftovers will be thrown out). Please note that we cannot guarantee the food will get to the patient on the same day or at a particular time.

Flower delivery

There are no flower restrictions related specifically to COVID-19 at this time, however flower delivery is restricted on units caring for more vulnerable patients, including:

• M2 (CRCU + CVICU)
• M4 NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit)
• B4 ICU (all rooms)
• B5 ICU
• C2
• C3
• C6 (Flowers are allowed on the unit, but not in patient rooms)
• Complex Malignant Hematology (normally located on D4 but has been moved to B3 temporarily)
• D4 ICU
• D6
• D7

Bayview campus: Takeaway orders from restaurants or food delivery services such as UberEats, Skip the Dishes, DoorDash are permitted on the Bayview campus. Delivery people are not permitted to enter the building so arrangements must be made for an order to be picked up at the entrance. Patients may pick up food orders at the front (M1) entrance. Where this is not possible, please consult M1 Courtesy Service, who may be available to assist between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. 416-480-6100 extension 2141. To ensure the continued safety of residents, the Veterans Centre remains unable to accept deliveries from restaurants and other food delivery services at this time.

Holland Centre: The Holland Centre is unable to accept drop-offs of food for patients at this time.

St John’s Rehab: SJR does not have the capacity to accept food deliveries for inpatients from UberEats, Skip the Dishes, DoorDash and other food delivery services at any of our campuses at this time.

Reactivation Care Centre (RCC) – Church Site: The RCC location is unable to accept drop offs of food for patients at this time.

We have received many kind gestures to provide support to our front-line staff through food and beverage donations. These are much appreciated, and for the safety of the public, patients, and our staff, the following guidelines have been created. Please note we cannot accept homemade meals at this time.

Online/cash donations

You may express your gratitude and support by making an online donation by visiting sunnybrook.ca/FeedTeamSunnybrook, and indicating that your donation is to support staff meals and wellness.

Donations will be used to purchase meals or beverages for staff through our hospital food services, or to fund delivery of food/wellness packages from third party suppliers.

Restaurant and catered meals

Gift cards/promotional codes: The preferred method for receiving donated restaurant meals is via gift cards, or through the opportunity for team members to order a meal for self-pickup or home delivery using a Sunnybrook-specific coupon or promotional code

Bulk deliveries: Drop-offs of bulk deliveries are only accepted when pre-arranged by contacting fooddonations@sunnybrook.ca. Unfortunately, those dropping off food will not be able to enter the hospital.

Bulk deliveries will be accepted from licensed restaurants and caterers that comply with Toronto Public Health’s Dine Safe program, and have received a pass notice on their most recent inspection. Restaurants and caterers must also represent that they screen their staff for symptoms of communicable illness, including COVID-19, prior to any food being prepared for Sunnybrook.

Food/beverages for delivery must meet the following criteria:

• Be provided as single portions
• Be in a covered container, individually wrapped, or placed in individual sealed bags with cutlery
• Must not require refrigeration or heating and must indicate how long they last at room temperature
• Must include explicit labeling of ingredients (including indication regarding food sensitivities)
• Beverages must be in individual cans or bottles

Food manufacturers & distributors (including grocery stores)

The preferred method for receiving donations of grocery items is by giving staff access to online ordering so that they can have their groceries delivered directly to their homes, or picked up after their shift.

Bulk donations of grocery items must meet the following criteria:

• Non-perishable and commercially prepared items (similar to the foods donated to food banks)
• Exception may be made for perishable foods including fruits and vegetables, provided they can sustained without refrigeration or be delivered close to the pick-up time
• Items that can be picked up by staff without the need for sorting or selecting from groups of food (e.g. individual “baskets” of food or pre-ordered selections)