The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) issued a statement Saturday, encouraging the public and medical professionals to practice social distancing to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
According to the release, OMA has been working closely with the Ministry of Health and other health care providers to contain the virus, protect patients and protect doctors.
It has since come to their attention that the situation has evolved to the point where limiting public interactions, more commonly referred to as social distancing, has become necessary.
"Social distancing is key to slowing the spread," said Dr. Sohail Gandhi, OMA president in a press release. "It will help minimize the impact of the spreading virus and flatten the curve, which essentially means a longer, slower rise in numbers of patients affected."
The OMA is encouraging Ontario doctors to refrain from non-essential, in-person meetings and travel outside of Canada, in addition to face-to-face meetings and events with other physicians.
Virtual meetings have been proposed as an alternative.
Members of the public, on the other hand, are encouraged to follow the Public Health Agency of Canada's advice by exercising social distancing and practicing healthy hygiene.
Leading by example, all OMA staff stationed in Toronto will be working remotely until further notice.
"We have an ethical duty to avoid a surge in COVID-19 cases that would exceed the capacity of the health-care system to accommodate. We also have a duty to protect our frontline health care workers, who face a greater risk of getting COVID-19," said Gandhi.
"Social distancing will not only help patients, and the public, it will help protect our frontline health care workers so they can continue to focus on the patients who need their care, and keep the rest of us healthy."
The OMA supports the decision of federal and provincial governments, other organizations and individuals who are taking steps to implement or voluntarily practice social distancing.
"As Premier Ford outlined in his March 13, 2020 release, preventing the further spread of COVID-19 calls for a strong, unified response," said the OMA press release.
