COVID-19, CDHA, and
Dental Hygiene: Timeline
December 2019
December 31
Chinese health officials inform the World Health Organization (WHO) of a cluster of 41 patients with a mysterious pneumonia.
January 2020
January 25
The first Canadian case of the novel coronavirus is reported by Health Canada, in a Toronto man who recently travelled to Wuhan, China.
March 2020
March 8
The first Canadian death from COVID-19 is reported in Vancouver.
March 11
WHO declares a pandemic; the global confirmed case count is 126,000 and Canada has more than 100 cases.
March 12
CDHA’s office in Ottawa, Ontario, pivots to remote working and virtual delivery of all services.
March 14
CDHA launches its first regular COVID-19 Update for members. Staff begin advocating for appropriate levels of PPE for dental hygienists, implementation of strict pre-screening protocols, expanded income supports and EI benefits, and the reduction or elimination of aerosol-generating procedures.
March 15
Across the country, COVID-19 guidance calls for dental practices to provide essential services only. 87% of CDHA members are laid off and 2% lose their jobs.
March 17
Provinces begin to declare states of emergency. CDHA calls for all dental and dental hygiene offices across Canada to postpone all non-urgent care.
March 18
The federal government announces emergency benefits to help Canadians and businesses facing hardship as a result of the global COVID-19 outbreak. Available financial supports for dental hygienists include the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), and the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB). CDHA continues its advocacy work to ensure that dental hygienists are eligible for federal programs.
March 20
CDHA launches videos from the president of BMS Canada outlining insurance coverage for members.
March 25
CDHA releases a video from Gowling WLG responding to questions about professional liability and legal considerations arising from the pandemic.
April 2020
April 3
CDHA meets with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to explore options for supporting dental hygiene students and recent graduates who do not qualify for CERB. CDHA also corresponds with advocacy to national banks to request development of specific relief measures for student loans, and advocates for the expansion of CERB to include recent graduates and students not returning to study, who are unable to secure employment due to COVID-19.
April 17
CDHA promotes 3 courses and 5 webinars to support members’ professional development in COVID-19 related matters.
April 23
The federal government announces the Canadian Emergency Student Benefit.
May 2020
May 1
Provincial governments initiate the re-opening of dental hygiene services.
May 8
CDHA conducts a survey to assess the impact of the pandemic on the profession, receiving 5,772 responses (34% response rate).
May 14
CDHA’s board of directors hosts a special virtual meeting and establishes a new “pandemic response” organizational End:
Members have the resources to support themselves through the pandemic and to take appropriate actions to minimize risk to themselves and the public upon return to work.
CDHA develops a return-to-work guidance section for its website and, on May 22, releases a comprehensive Return to Work Handbook.
May 18
CDHA launches a COVID-19 Employment Q&A video and accompanying FAQ document.
May 19
CDHA releases a webinar on the “invisible” risks in the dental operatory, with a focus on SARS-CoV-2, its underlying virology, and transmissibility.
May 22
CDHA administers Crest + Oral-B’s $50,000 grant to support dental hygienists. Recipients are selected by a random draw; each recipient receives $2,000.
June 2020
CDHA continues to advocate for access to PPE and produces new information and resources for members to recognize counterfeit products.
June 3
CDHA launches a webinar on critical changes to infection prevention and control as a result of the pandemic.
June 18
Canada’s COVID-19 case count surpasses 100,000.
September 2020
September 8–22
CDHA conducts a survey to gauge the full effects of the pandemic on members, receiving 2,591 responses (21% response rate).
September 28
Global COVID-19 deaths exceed 1 million.
October 2020
CDHA shares information on three new federal support programs: Canada Recovery Benefit, Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, and Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit.
October 19
Canada’s total COVID-19 case count surpasses 200,000.
November 2020
CDHA polls over 900 independent dental hygienists regarding PPE access and costs. Results are used to inform advocacy to government officials.
November 16
Canada’s COVID-19 case count surpasses 300,000.
November 18
A study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine reports that “the disease burden of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is not uniform across occupations.” It concludes that dental hygienists, dental assistants, and dentists are the most at risk due to their proximity and prolonged exposure to patients while providing dental and oral care.
December 2020
December 3
CDHA collaborates with the Canadian Dental Association to advocate for priority access to COVID-19 vaccines for all oral health care professionals. On December 10, a joint letter is sent to the federal minister of health seeking confirmation that all oral health care professionals will be prioritized when vaccines become available.
December 4
Canada’s COVID-19 case count surpasses 400,000.
December 9
Health Canada approves Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine.
December 17
CDHA’s board of directors approves a statement that dental hygienists, as primary health care professionals, play a critical role in public and population health and should be considered essential workers. It is hoped that such recognition will give dental hygienists priority access to government distribution of PPE and vaccines alongside other essential workers, both of which will help to ensure the health and safety of dental hygienists and their patients/clients.
December 20
Canada’s COVID-19 case count surpasses 500,000.
December 26
Ontario confirms its first Canadian case of a more contagious variant of COVID-19.
January 2021
January 3
Canada’s COVID-19 case count surpasses 600,000.
January 14
CDHA conducts a poll on vaccines, receiving 4,689 responses.
January 15–18
CDHA commissions a consumer research poll to assess the impact of the pandemic on dental hygiene care.
January 16
Canada’s COVID-19 case count surpasses 700,000.
February 2021
February 6
Canada’s COVID-19 case count surpasses 800,000.
February 19–20
CDHA’s board of directors revises its pandemic response End: Members have the resources to inform practice decisions regarding the pandemic response and recovery.
March 2021
February/March 2021
CDHA’s focus shifts to ensuring that dental hygienists have priority access to COVID-19 vaccines and will be allowed to serve as health professionals to administer the vaccine to others.
March 11
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau designates March 11 as a National Day of Observance to commemorate the lives lost and affected by COVID-19, and the significant impact of the pandemic on Canadians.
March 13
Canada’s COVID-19 case count surpasses 900,000.
April 2021
April 3
Canada’s COVID-19 case count surpasses 1,000,000.