COVID-19: Information for NDs
- The College of Naturopaths of Ontario is closely monitoring the evolving situation and is one of many health system partners that are involved in daily teleconferences with the Ministry of Health and that receive daily Situation Reports.
- We will update this webpage as new information becomes available. Our COVID-19 information for the public web page is also updated as needed.
- We encourage you to check back often for updates. Recent e-mails to the profession can be found at the end of this page.
Latest Update: Our most recent all-Registrant e-mails are posted at the bottom of this page. They include the April 23, 2021, New Directive from the Ministry of Health, the November 23, 2020 regional lockdown email, the May 27, 2020 update about the amendment to Directive #2 for Health Care Providers and the May 29, 2020 message about the College’s COVID-19 Reopening Guidelines for NDs.
Advisory on COVID-19 Vaccinations
This is an advisory to all NDs in Ontario reminding you that you are not permitted to discuss COVID-19 vaccinations (or any other vaccinations) with patients, nor can you suggest alternatives to vaccinations, such as Nosodes, as doing so is prohibited by Health Canada. This is the case regardless of the recommendation you would be providing to your patients.
NDs in Ontario do not have the tools necessary to diagnose COVID-19 nor do they have access to the medications to treat the virus’s more serious symptoms. As a result, COVID-19 is outside of the scope of practice of the profession. In keeping with the Standard of Practice on Scope of Practice, patients who have questions about COVID-19 and the vaccinations must be referred to a regulated health care provider (i.e., physicians and nurse practitioners) who can diagnose and treat the virus, as well as answer their questions about the COVID-19 vaccines. You may also refer a patient to the local health unit for more information about COVID-19 vaccinations or visit the COVID-19 Ministry of Health website.
In situations where the College learns about a specific ND who is discussing vaccinations with patients or who are taking positions using their credentials as NDs against public health measures, including public health recommendations to be vaccinated, we may initiate an investigation into the matter based on allegations of professional misconduct.
We recognize that as individuals you may have your own views on a variety of COVID-19 matters, including public health restrictions and vaccinations. While you are entitled to your own individual views, you cannot express those views using your credentials as an ND. In doing so, you cross from personal opinions into professional opinions. In order to express a professional opinion, you must have met all of the requirements of practise to do so, including having the knowledge, skill and judgment, and the matter being within your scope of practise.
COVID-19 Vaccination Fact Sheet (Current 9-27-2021)
The College has created a fact sheet on COVID-19 Vaccinations. You can read the fact sheet here.
COVID-19 Reopening Guidelines
On May 28, 2020 the College issued its COVID-19 Reopening Guidelines. These guidelines, along with the Ministry of Health’s – COVID-19 Operational Requirements: Health Sector Restart provide the rules and requirements that must be in place to gradually restart providing deferred and/or non-essential health services to patients.
Note: This guideline will continue to be updated as warranted and where a discrepancy exists between the College’s Guidelines and the government requirements, the government requirements take precedence.
COVID-19 vaccine for NDs
Q&A – When will the COVID-19 vaccine be available to NDs?
Read the latest FAQs
COVID-19 – FAQs for naturopaths – Updated July 7, 2020
Updated Directive #2 from the Chief Medical Officer of Health
On May 26, 2020, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health updated Directive #2 to allow for the gradual restart of deferred and non-essential services by regulated health professionals. Health care providers must comply with requirements set out in the document COVID-19 Operational Requirements: Health Sector Restart.
Read the revised Directive and the Health Sector Restart document for more details.
COVID-19 Operational Requirements: Health Sector Restart
On May 26, 2020, the Ministry of Health released the document, COVID-19 Operational Requirements: Health Sector Restart, specifying the details and requirements that are discussed in Directive #2. The restart document outlines measures that must be in place for health care providers to begin to provide in-person services.
Read COVID-19 Operational Requirements: Health Sector Restart.
Virtual Care & Telepractice
Based on the directive issued on May 26, 2020 by the Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario (CMOH), all non-essential and elective services provided by professionals governed under the Regulated Health Professions Act (including naturopaths) may be provided via telepractice and virtual care.
Our Regulatory Guidance on Telepractice discusses requirements for Registrants who choose to provide care at a distance.
Ontario Health Workforce Portal
The Ontario government is taking further action to stop the spread of COVID-19 by actively recruiting health care workers to increase the frontline capacity of hospitals, clinics, and assessment centres.
The government’s Health Workforce Matching Portal enables health care providers with a range of experience to join the province’s response to COVID-19. The portal will match the availability and skillsets of frontline health care workers to the employers in need of assistance to perform a variety of public health functions, such as case and contact management.
Reminder: Mandatory Reporting
COVID-19 is a designated disease reportable under Ontario’s public health legislation. Naturopaths have a responsibility to report suspected cases of COVID-19 to their local public health unit.
Registrants Advertising & Claims About COVID-19
Any statements by naturopaths about the prevention and/or treatment of COVID-19 (beyond the information that is available from public health authorities) are inappropriate, potentially harmful, and likely to violate the College’s Standard of Practice for Advertising. When brought to the attention of the College, such statements will be forwarded to the Inquiries, Complaints & Reports Committee for investigation.
The College’s Standard of Practice for Advertising prohibits marketing and/or advertising that is false, inaccurate, reasonably capable of misleading the public, unverifiable, or contrary to the public interest in the practice of the profession.
Read the latest blog post from our Manager of Professional Practice’s on Providing immune support to patients during COVID-19.
Guidance Documents & Resources
There are a number of sources Registrants may wish to consult for current information about COVID-19.
The Ministry of Health provides regular updates on the status of cases in Ontario for health professionals, and updates for the public. This dedicated web page will be updated every weekday at 10:30 a.m. ET with the most current information on the status of cases in the province. The Ministry’s website also provides specific guidance for health care providers.
Public Health Ontario offers a resource page for health care providers professionals, including best practices.
The Government of Canada’s website provides daily updates on COVID-19 in Canada as well as information about the federal government’s response.
Public Health Ontario recently hosted a webinar about COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control for Regulated Health Professionals. Click here to view the webinar recording.
Keeping Registrants Informed
Below are recently-issued updates, including e-mail messages sent to College Registrants for whom we have a valid address.