IWK drops some masking mandates
The IWK Health Centre in Halifax has recently changed its masking requirements.
A spokesperson for the children’s hospital said masks are no longer required in IWK Health public and ambulatory care spaces.
Patients, visitors and staff are now only required to wear masks in the emergency department, early larbour and assessment areas and inpatient units.
“Masking is additionally required for staff and physicians during any ambulatory care interactions in which the patient and/or support persons are wearing masks for any reason,” an IWK Health spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
The change in mask policy at the IWK, implemented on May 6, reflects a decline in the incidence of several respiratory viruses across the province.
Meanwhile, Nova Scotia Health said its mask policy hasn’t changed.
According to Nova Scotia’s latest respiratory watch report (April 28 to May 11), the weekly number of influenza PCR positives has declined than the week prior, while the weekly number of COVID-19 PCR positives and RSV PCR positives have remained stable.
There were 64 new cases of influenza A and 78 new cases of influenza B reported, 173 new case of COVID-19 and 20 new cases of RSV reported.
“Given the decreasing incidence of RSV, Influenza A and B, and COVID-19, it was deemed safe to adjust mandatory masking requirements,” IWK Health said.
But the mask policy adjustments came as a surprise to some people who recently visited the IWK.
Susan Joudrey, a member of Protect Our Province Nova Scotia, said the COVID action group wasn’t aware of any masking changes until some of the group’s members were at the IWK and noticed fewer people were wearing masks.
“The ability to be able to prepare for what they need … and say these are the things we can expect when we get to this place is really important for people’s emotional and mental wellbeing,” Joudrey said in an interview on Saturday.
But Joudrey questioned IWK Health’s decision to change its mask policy in the first place.
“There’s still some reasons to take precautions,” said Joudrey, who would like to see masks required in all healthcare facilities at all times.
She said not having mask requirements in hospitals creates a barrier for vulnerable people to safely access health care.
Joudrey said masking not only protects vulnerable patients, but also health-care workers, who are also crucial
to our health-care system that is facing staff shortages.
“The things that we learned about aerosols and the way that everything transmits,” she said. “We know all these things transmit in a way that masks can ensure that they’re not transmitting through those little aerosols in the air.”
Joudrey said she wore a mask when she recently taught two semesters at a university. She noted only some students didn’t wear masks and they “made it through the semester just fine.”
“But I see that setting as being very different than say health care, where people are going specifically to try and stay healthy,” she said.
According to the World Health Organization, masks should be worn in all common areas and when caring for non-COVID-19 patients “if COVID-19 is widely circulating and impacting the health system.”
IWK Health said it learned “valuable lessons about respiratory protection” throughout the pandemic.
“The epidemiology of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses in the general population and in IWK Health facilities, as well as health-care worker absences, will continue to be monitored as we move into the summer and then fall months.”