Table 4.

Patient transport to the OR

All preoperative documentation is to be completed prior to transport of the patient into the operating room

Patients who do not require intubation prior to transport to the operating room must wear a surgical mask

Patients should be transported directly to the operating room, without stopping in the pre-operative holding area

Patients are to be transported in designated COVID elevator or designated pathways if available

Coordination between care teams is essential for safe transport

Peer to peer sign-out must occur by phone prior to transport (e.g., ER personnel to OR staff; surgeons to anesthesiologists)

Peer to peer handoff must occur upon arrival of the patient to the operating room

Staff transporting COVID-19 positive or suspected patients to the OR must wear N95/FFP3 masks, gown, and gloves to be removed when leaving the OR and placed in a designated receptacle

Hand washing should ALWAYS be performed after any doffing of PPE

Additional PPE should be made available for staff returning to wards

Staff transporting the patient will facilitate positioning patient on OR bed prior to exiting the room, to minimize the number of people in the room at one time