1. A plan for an infectious disease outbreak should provide a framework to guide other potential, similar health-related events that may affect continuity of the Institution’s operations. While it is uncertain when a pandemic will occur, perspective needs to be maintained in planning because impacts are uncertain.

2. The Plan should assume there is no immunity and a high risk of contraction is inevitable if exposed.

3. The Plan should assume the following:

• 15-35% employee absence as a result of illness. Additional absences will occur as a result of employees caring for sick family members or friends, and closures of schools and daycare facilities (Health Canada).
• A potential for deaths based on mortality rates of 1 in 522 to 1 in 2870 (Toronto Public Health). Mortality rate could be higher if the Institution is one of the “clusters” hit hardest.
• Previous influenza pandemics have infected regions in multiple waves. The duration of each pandemic influenza wave is likely to be 6 to 8 weeks.
  iv. Previous influenza pandemics have included 3 waves over a period not to exceed 2 years.

4. Given the estimated mortality numbers, it may be an extended period of time before some employees or students are emotionally, financially or otherwise capable of resuming their normal lives.

5. In a pandemic situation, processes and actions in The Institution’s Plan may be taken out of the direct control of the Institution by Ottawa Public Health and/or External Emergency Response Agencies.

6. In a pandemic situation, potential exists for all to be infected, including the emergency response organization and senior Institution decision-makers as no antivirals will be made available to employees or students.

7. Measures to prevent exposure as long as possible should be planned for the Institution’s emergency management and response personnel. In order to prevent all response personnel from becoming sick at the same time, exposure should be minimized for as long as possible through the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). This will allow key responders and decision-makers to remain operative until a percentage of sick personnel have survived the ordeal, built immunity, and are able to return to assist in response efforts.

8. There may be employees and students who may not be prepared and this will result in the Institution facing greater taxation of its resources to respond to the pandemic, including ill or dependent students in residence. Preparedness education for the pandemic needs to be at the grassroots level, with responsibility residing with the individual (student, employee) and family. This applies to food, fluids, shelter, care and medication, for employees and students who are physically reliant on medications.

9. Some employees will be unable to make themselves available to work because of their priority of personal safety, their need to care for family members or others, and a fear of contracting the disease. Employees faced with conflicting obligations between home and the workplace will gravitate to the care and safety of immediate family members. The Institution needs to encourage employees to address issues of childcare, family communications and transportation prior to the emergence of a pandemic.

10. The President with the Executive will have to determine at which point the absence of students, faculty and staff becomes an academic disruption (where Institutional Policy would have to be invoked and principles of academic integrity, fairness to students and timely communication would apply) and options for remediation considered.

11. The Institution should adopt, on the basis of a percentage of the Institution population (students, faculty and staff) reported sick or absent, a trigger point for full suspension of operations. This metric adopted by School Boards in the GTA is 35%. Alternatively the Institution should parallel the actions of the School Boards in the Municipality.

12. Students in residence, essential service employees, and members of the emergency response team may not have access to food from normal sources either on-campus and/or off-campus. Additionally, these individuals may not be able to access cash to purchase food if there is disruption to banking services and machines.

13. Persons in neighbourhoods adjacent to the Institution campus may seek support or assistance from the Institution during a time of crisis and, as a guideline, the Institution should respond “as resources are available”.

14. The Institution should not rely on the Ontario health care system to provide arrangements for caring for sick students in residence (who are unable to go home). The pandemic will create surge capacity at hospitals and extend to their limits all physicians, nurses and public health workers. Note that as a result, sick notes for employees are not expected to be available during a Pandemic. (Possible MOU required)

15. The Institution should not rely on upper levels of government to provide policy direction before or during a pandemic nor should it assume that assistance will be provided during a pandemic, given the wide-scale demands and limitation of resources. The Institution should plan to make its own decisions on policy and guidelines (e.g., closure or scale-back criteria) and should form relationships formed through collaborative planning and personal/professional networks that might provide assistance during an emergency outbreak.

16. There is an increased probability of exposure in some Institution buildings and gathering places where there is a greater likelihood of direct contact with others because of high volume of pedestrian traffic or high density of occupants. Examples include cafeterias and student residences.

17. The Institution has specific vulnerable populations that may be at higher risk of exposure or require special care (e.g., young and elderly, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, daycares, custodial staff, essential service workers, students and employees in international travel, etc.).

18. There may be an outbreak affecting one or more identifiable constituencies or areas (“pockets”) of the Institution. The Plan needs to address how this scenario would impact the constituency/area and how it should impact the rest of the Institution.

19. Institution services critical to the health and welfare of the population and that are especially important during an outbreak include Health Services, Security, Student Housing, Hospitality and Food Services, Facilities (utilities and plant services), Computing & Network Services, Animal Care, and Communications.

20. Employees (management employees especially) in less “essential” service operations should be re-assigned or co-opted to help out in other ways during the Institution’s time of crisis.

21. Provision should be made for certain employees to work from home (if, for instance, they are under quarantine, have care responsibilities, or are unable to travel). Employees that will need adequate remote connectivity (computing, network, telecommunication) should be identified early in the planning stages.

22. Provision should be made to make staff available to care for animals in on-campus facilities or to relocate animals to other facilities.

23. Proactive preventative measures such as enhancing hygiene practices or inventorying staff skill sets should be initiated now. Strategic actions designed to reduce potential exposures or mitigate continuity issues don’t have to wait for either the Plan to be completed or for the pandemic to arrive.

24. The Institution should provide useful information to its employees and students on an ongoing basis, from the beginning of the planning process and throughout an outbreak situation. If a communication vacuum exists, the community will create rumours and misinformation will fill the gaps. Individuals who are provided information in a clear and consistent manner tend to remain calm, cooperate and help others more than those who are caught off guard by a situation. Ongoing communication will instil community confidence in the Institution’s plans. Bulletins, website messages, employee meetings and other communication tools should be employed to share information and provide an enhanced sense of control.

25. The Institution’s communication plan for disseminating information should include targeted messages for parents and families of institution’s students as well as tenant organizations and groups on the Institution’s campuses (e.g., SA, CLC, and Ottawa Police).

26. Where possible, senior Institution officers and leaders within the Institution community should participate in pandemic related drills to build employee confidence and improve decision-making processes. Like any situation, people tend to cope better if the situation has some familiarity.

27. It will not be possible to offer e-classes as a substitute for academic classes held on Institution premises.

28. There will be the potential for unattended research and loss of intellectual property.

29. Because of their distinct geographical locations, the Perth and Pembroke campuses may or may not be infected while the Woodroffe campus is or is not. Faculty of Education sites in school board facilities will have to comply with school board operating and closure decisions.

30. There will be the potential for a disruption of transit service to the Institution campus(es) leading up to or during the pandemic outbreak, so a contingency plan for commuters may be required. Bill 56 will allow transit drivers not to work (if they feel they are at risk or have dependent care responsibilities). Also, transit drivers may elect not to accept routes to and from the Institution campus if the campus community members are an affected population.

31. In order to maintain services provided by commercial tenants for as long as possible during an outbreak, mutual aid agreements with individual retail operators/service providers will be pursued by the Institution.

32. There will be resource implications to deliver a Pandemic Influenza Plan and response program.

33. Resources will be made available as soon as possible to the planning and management of an influenza pandemic. There is a relatively short time-frame in which planning arrangements need to be made.

34. It is assumed that the performance of the Internet will degrade during each wave of a Pandemic, with complete failure possible within one week. (confirm with Bell, Rogers)

35. It is assumed that phone based telecommunications networks will degrade during each wave of a Pandemic, with complete failure unlikely. (confirm with Bell, Rogers)

36. It is assumed that post-secondary campuses will not be used by assessment centres during a pandemic. (confirm with MOU with appropriate Board of Health)

37. It is assumed that the Board of Health will not second staff from Post Secondary Institutions in the event of a Pandemic and that rather will expect Post Secondary Institutions to look after their own populations. (confirm with MOU with appropriate Board of Health)

38. It is assumed that emergency response services will be significantly degraded during each wave of a Pandemic and that the average response time will be 4 to 6 hours. (confirm with MOU with appropriate Municipality)

39. Based on the expected response times for Municipal Emergency Services, each campus will designate and outfit an isolation room for use by Campus Emergency Services.

40. Each post-secondary institution will confirm with major suppliers (e.g. food services, utilities) arrangements in the event of a Pandemic. (MOU’s required with all major suppliers)

41. Given the expected duration of a pandemic, it is assumed that many students will be at above average financial risk due to the loss of jobs, loss of support from families, or similar conditions. Each Institution will provide a plan to extend bursary funds beyond normal limits to support students thus impacted.

42. Given the expected duration of a pandemic and potential for financial loss for each Institution it is assumed that MTCU will continue normal grant instalments during the Pandemic without recourse for claw-back. (confirm with MOU with MTCU).

Please click HERE for a full copy of the pandemic plan.Back to top