Posted on: April 20, 2022
Tuesday’s Staff and Medical Staff Town Hall featured updates from Acting Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Murray Fyfe and VP Pandemic Planning Marko Peljhan. Our thanks to the 300 people who took the time to dial in and to those who submitted questions.
Acting Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Murray Fyfe shared that BC and Island Health appear to be in a sixth wave of COVID, and hospitalizations in our region have started to increase. We reached our lowest level of hospitalizations on March 22, with 27, and since then the number of COVID cases in hospital has climbed to 73.
Dr Fyfe also shared that with the easing of public health restrictions, we are also seeing some old viral foes making their re-appearance. For the first time in more than two years, there is an influenza outbreak in a long-term care facility in Island Health.
VP Pandemic Planning Marko Peljhan shared that his team is working on surge planning to ensure we are prepared if increased severity of illness comes with any new variants of COVID. Immunization efforts are focused on providing spring booster doses to priority populations, and first and second doses to anyone wanting them. On the therapeutics front – Paxlovid is now being prescribed through community providers, and Remdesivir is being provided by IV to patients requiring it.
Many of the slido questions asked about masking requirements in our healthcare settings.
Island Health’s Masking Policy has just been updated and is in line with provincial policy requirements.
Here are some key points about masking:
- Masks must be worn in all common areas where interactions with patients or visitors can occur and in all clinical areas, including staff-only spaces like offices, meeting rooms and education spaces. If staff are working alone in an office, they can remove their mask and reapply it when someone enters or they leave their office.
- Where eating and drinking is likely to happen during a meeting, break time etc – 2 metres is recommended
- Mask use is optional in staff-only administrative areas or work spaces that are outside the clinical areas of care facilities, such as labs, production kitchens, MDRD, biomed or laundry plants.
- If in doubt, wear a mask, and always respect people’s personal space.
You can listen to the town hall audio here. FAQs will be shared as soon as possible.