FRONT-LINE WORKERS WELL PROTECTED, HENRY SAYS,
Nurses’ union launches probe into infections among members
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says the government has done a good job of protecting front-line health-care workers from COVID-19.
Henry said workers were “well protected by a measured approach to distributing personal protective equipment,” and that had led to a relatively high survival rate for workers that ended up in hospital.
According to the B.C. Nurses’ Union, as of June 8 there had been 136 COVID-19 cases among its members, and that was 20 per cent of the total number of health-care workers that had fallen ill (680).
According to the Ministry of Health’s May 4 COVID -19 report, on April 28, 21 per cent of cases (428) were among health-care workers. Of those cases, 33 had ended up in hospital and a third of those in intensive care. The ministry didn’t release updated data in its June 4 report.
One health-care worker has died from the disease.
Henry said not all B.C. healthcare workers had picked up the disease at work.
“I think we need to be cautious when we look at the health-careworker data because we include health-care workers no matter where they were exposed,” she said. “Many people who are health-care workers were exposed at things like a conference that we know a lot of people attended. There was personal travel. There was also transmission between workers in settings where they may not have realized there was a risk, in lunch rooms, in break rooms and things like that.”
Henry’s comments came as the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions launched an independent investigation into COVID -19 contraction rates among nurses.
There were 32 new cases of COVID-19 reported in B.C. between noon Friday and noon Monday, and one death. Henry said there were 182 active cases of the disease, with 14 of those in hospital and six in intensive care. The numbers, while low, have climbed since case figures were last reported June 19.
There have been 2,822 cases of COVID-19 reported in B.C. since the first case appeared in late January, and 169 deaths.
Henry said no new health-care or community outbreaks occurred within the last three-day reporting period.
There are seven active healthcare outbreaks, including six in long-term care facilities and one at Mission Memorial Hospital.
Henry said Premier John Horgan was expected to announce the launch of Phase 3 of the provincial restart plan later in the
week. While the third phase will include lifting the recommended restrictions on travel within the province, Henry warned travellers to maintain social distancing and be respectful of communities.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said that in the past week there had been 83 new COVID-19 cases and one death in B.C., while in Washington state in the same period there had been 2,846 new cases and 56 deaths.
The Canada-U.S. border remains closed to non-essential travel until at least July 21.
Henry said she expects visits will be permitted to long-term care facilities within the coming weeks.