Table 3.

Safety and Protection Theme with Supporting Quotes

Theme	Quotes
Patient safety	Quebec physician, “It's working very well. We're sparing patients from having to go outside and be exposed to people on the métro and on the bus. We're sparing people in the waiting room from picking up (the coronavirus).” (Montreal Gazette, March 25)
Instruction	South Okanagan Similkameen Division of Family Practice in BC, “A doctor or nurse practitioner will determine whether you can be seen over the phone, by video, or if an in-person appointment is required.” (Similkameen Spotlight, April 7).
Reassure	Clinician, “I would add that Crisis Text Line is very easy to use and could be a valuable first stop for someone in crisis. Simply text 741–741 and a volunteer social worker and crisis counsellor will respond very quickly via text. This service is free and available 24/7” (Sudbury Star, April 24)
	Executive Director Kawartha North Family Health Team, “In an effort to ensure everyone's safety, we ask that patients not come to the office without a pre-booked appointment.” (Kawartha Lakes This Week, May 4).
	Chief of Staff, “With all the focus on COVID-19, it can be easy for people's ongoing, regular health care concerns to be relegated to the back burner. I would like to assure you that you continue to have access to health care…” (100 Mile House Free Press, March 30)
	Speech pathologist, “…video therapy is as effective as in-person visits.” (Sault Star, April 1)
Provider safety	Reporter, “Virtual care can also help mitigate the risks posed to front-line health-care workers during a time of crisis. For those providers who are well but subject to quarantine, virtual care allows them to still contribute to health-care delivery through eConsult, video visits, email or chat communication, and remote monitoring, as long as appropriate cybersecurity measures are in place.” (Toronto Star, March 18)
	Emergency department nurse, “I'm not exactly scared. Not yet. I have anxiety, but I'm not necessarily afraid. The anxiety centers on the lack of available protective gear.” (Globe & Mail: April 4, 2020)
	Presidents, Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association and Edmonton Community Medical Staff Association, “Family physicians have not received clinic guidelines nor a plan from the government for how the health system and family clinics will prepare to manage the additional volume. Family clinics do not receive [PPE] from government while hospitals and COVID-19 assessment centres do.” (Edmonton Journal, August 29)
Health care system	Clinic spokesperson, “Our goal is to minimize potential exposure to as many people as possible while freeing up resources to attend to those who require urgent care.” (The Standard, April 2).
	Physician and President of the NB Medical Society, “We are urging all our members to look at their individual practices and continue to practice as much social isolation as possible. It's hopefully going to reduce greatly the number of patients coming to physicians' offices and coming to hospitals.” (The Times – Transcript, March 17)
	Physician, ““…a system called Virtual Consults, which allows specialists to assess and treat a patient in the emergency department by video chat when an in-person assessment isn't necessary. This saves PPE, reduces exposure for everyone as fewer specialists are in the department and gives families a plan more quickly than if they had to wait for someone to come in.” (The Globe and Mail, July 18)