SENT TO ALL STAFF, MEDICAL STAFF, STUDENTS AND VOLUNTEERS ON BEHALF OF
MARKO PELJHAN, VP, PANDEMIC PLANNING, AND DR. RICHARD STANWICK, VP POPULATION & PUBLIC HEALTH AND CHIEF MEDICAL HEALTH OFFICER
JANUARY 14, 2022
COVID-19 modelling was presented today by Dr. Bonnie Henry, and it shows the Omicron wave may have peaked last weekend. However, the peak of hospitalizations is still to come, and will likely coincide with the peak of health-care worker illness with the virus. Despite that, Health Minister Adrian Dix is urging British Columbians to seek care
when needed.
“Our health care teams are doing a remarkable job, not just dealing with COVID-19, not just dealing with the overdose public health emergency, not just dealing with every other issue, but in providing high quality of service. There will be challenges, yes. Patience is required, yes. But if you need care, get care.”
To deal with Omicron and the staffing challenges it presents, temporary measures are in place at Island Health to allow staff and medical staff to continue working with mild illness if they test negative for COVID-19 and feel well enough to do so.
Dr. Henry said there has been a "significant uptick" in the number of people aged 70 and older being admitted to hospital in January, showing that age is still the most important risk factor for COVID illness or death. In BC, 70 per cent of people in critical care this month were unvaccinated and two-thirds of the people who have died in 2022 had not been immunized. She also noted a worrisome trend in the number of young people admitted to hospital, with nine admissions this week for kids under four who are too young to be vaccinated.
UPDATES TO PPE GUIDELINES: EYE PROTECTION & N95s
Please be aware we have updated our PPE Guidelines to reflect the return to eye protection requirements when within 2-metres of a patient, resident or client. As well, N95 masking continues be provided to health-care providers according to a Point of Care Risk Assessment. The link has been added to the document for ease of reference. Health-care workers who are required to wear an N95 as part of their duties must be fit tested on an annual basis.
COVID-19 Safety Plans and SELF-SCREENING
Island Health continues to have active COVID-19 safety plans in place, and all plans can be found on our COVID-19 Intranet pages. Safety plans have kept our workplaces safe, and the expectation is they are updated by the leader with frontline staff involvement as guidance changes.
One element of the safety plan is ensuring workers screen themselves for symptoms of COVID when they attend the workplace. In Island Health we have multiple processes to support this, depending upon your worksite. The introduction of on-site Rapid Antigen Point of Care Testing (RAPOCT) does not replace the need to continue with the wellness check process. It should be viewed as a supportive tool to screen yourself for mild symptoms/illness, (sniffles/slight runny nose, congestion, scratchy throat or headache) and the need for a rapid test and implementation of infection control precautions.
SITE-BASED CLINICS OFFER DROP-IN BOOSTERS
The schedule for site-based booster clinics has been updated, and new Occupational Health and Safety clinics have been added. Please check here for the latest information. Approximately 4,000 staff and medical staff have taken advantage of these drop-in clinics to get their boosters, and 66% of our team members are now running at the highest immunity! There are many appointments available at community sites for those who don’t have access to on-site clinics. Please note: community vaccination sites do not allow drop-ins, so ensure you have an appointment before you go (www.getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca).
OUTBREAKS
A new outbreak has been declared at Royal Jubilee Hospital (PCC 8 South East). A broad team, including local Medical Health Officers, site leadership, IPAC and OH&S is working together to ensure risks to staff and patients are mitigated. Any staff at risk of exposure requiring follow up or testing will be contacted directly.
Two new outbreaks have also been declared in long-term care facilities in Dufferin Place in Nanaimo and Beacon Hill Villa in Victoria. Find key information about outbreak sites on our COVID intranet page. With the amount of virus circulating in our communities, please:
- Closely monitor for symptoms, and follow BCCDC guidance on when to isolate and seek testing.
- Practice vigilance around masking, hand hygiene, physical distancing, and PPE, with particular focus on shared spaces (i.e. charting areas and break spaces).
- Follow RAPOCT testing procedures, if implemented at your worksite (if not yet, it will be soon).
- OR - use the Priority Testing Line for health-care workers if you have symptoms and are not scheduled to work the same day: 1.833.737.9377 – 8am-4pm daily.
TOWN HALL TUESDAY
The next staff and medical staff Town Hall is on Tuesday, January 18th at noon. Watch your email Tuesday morning for call-in info and a link to Sli.do for questions. You can find the Q&A from our January 4th Town Hall here. At 12 pages long, it’s our biggest yet!
IMMUNIZATION UPDATE
Pregnant women are now encouraged to get a booster to protect themselves and their baby and are eligible for a booster dose eight weeks after dose two.
PROVINCIAL UPDATE (Today)
- 2,275 people have newly-confirmed COVID-19 for a total of 293,521
- 6 new deaths, for a total of 2,468 COVID-19 related deaths in B.C.
- 35,943 people with active COVID-19 in B.C. – 646 in hospital, 95 in ICU/HAU
- See new and stats and data on the BCCDC COVID-19 dashboard
Read today’s statement, transcript, and view modeling slides.
ISLAND HEALTH UPDATE (Today):
- 401 people have newly-confirmed COVID-19, for a total of 23,597*
- 6v new deaths since Jan 11, for a total of 155 COVID-19 related deaths in Island Health
- 2517 people with active COVID-19 in Island Health:
- 1513 South Island, 704 Central Island, 300 North Island
- 38 COVID-19 patients in hospital, plus 34 recovered (9 in ICU/HAU, plus 11 recovered)
- Current hospitalizations not fully vaccinated Non-Critical 54%, Critical Care 94%
- See our site outbreaks listing.
* Demographics and exposure information may only represent high priority cases.
v Numbers reported in Island Health today will be included in provincial reporting tomorrow.
COVID-19 Intranet Pages:
Since our last update, the following resources have either been added to, or revised and republished on, the COVID-19 Intranet pages.
New
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Changes
PPE Guidelines
- Updated to include eye protection and N95/PCRA guidance (as noted above)
Employee Health, Wellness and Safety
- Exposure to COVID-19 in the Workplace – QA has been archived from the site
Outbreak Response
- COVID-19 Outbreak Acute Care Playbook Reference to the Exposure to COVID-19 in the Workplace – QA has been removed from the playbook
Patient Placement and Transport
- COVID-19 Recommendations for Drivers and Passengers has been updated and is current as of January 10.
- COVID-19 Recommendations for Fleet Vehicles has been updated and is current as of January 10.
External
Check out what is New Today on the BCCDC website.
Have a question or concern about COVID-19? Email pandemic@islandhealth.ca.
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