As the numbers of positive Covid-19 cases rises within the city, we at 360 Eyecare have continued to take precautions to help keep our staff and our patients safe, and to help minimize the spread of the virus. These precautions that were implemented at the start of the pandemic will stay in place for the foreseeable future as we continue to follow the guidelines set by the Ministry of Health.
We understand there is a growing worry within our communities about making unnecessary trips and risking exposure to the novel coronavirus. Health officials have rightly recommended that the public stay home except to travel for essential needs, such as food and medical appointments.
The World is Changing and So Are Your Eyes
Eye health does not take a back seat during these times. In fact, it may be more important now. Many Canadians are finding themselves in front of screens as they work remotely from home. Some of these Canadians suddenly find themselves working long hours in front of a computer or laptop and are experiencing things such as eye strain and eye fatigue for the first time. Some are finding that their glasses no longer work into their home office set up. Even some are discovering a need for glasses for the first time.
Remote working was implemented by many offices at the onset of the pandemic and, as we enter the colder months, looks like it will continue to be in effect for the foreseeable future. As such, it’s important to recognize that eye health is an essential need during these unprecedented times, and we here at 360 Eyecare are committed to serving our patients in a safe and thorough manner.
Some of the precautions we have taken that directly impact our patients include the following:
Required PPE:
Everyone who enters the clinic – patient or staff member – must wear a face mask during the duration of their visit. Our staff additionally wear face shields while interacting with patients.
COVID-19 Screening:
Patients and staff members entering the clinic space must undergo a screening process, verbal or written, and will have their temperature with a contactless IR thermometer taken before further entry is granted.
Cleaning and Disinfecting:
We take sanitation just as seriously as PPE. We have our own Disinfection Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which we use to keep track of disinfection of all of our surfaces and equipment. Our Optometrists and staff follow strict hand-washing and patient interaction procedures. We kindly ask all our patients entering the office to sanitize their hands with our provided hand-sanitizer.
Social Distancing Protocols:
Appointments are carefully booked to prevent patient overlap, and to minimize the amount of people in our clinics at one time. We are also requiring our patients to minimize the amount of people accompanying them to their appointments to one additional person at most.
We welcome patients shopping with us for eye glasses, and we take additional precautions to create a safe retail environment by also limiting the number of people trying on glasses, and are strict about disinfecting each frame before they are returned to the shelves.
The Covid-19 pandemic requires us all to do our parts to protect the community and lower the spread, and to be kind and mindful of those around us as we continue to navigate these unprecedented times. As always, 360 Eyecare is committed to helping everyone with their eye health and eyecare needs.
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