New mask guide issued for MIQ staff

Staff working in managed isolation and quarantine facilities will now need to wear

N95 masks when entering guests’ rooms, and in other situations where they cannot maintain a two-metre distance.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Health updated guidance on the use of N95/P2 masks following a review of concerns that border workers could catch Covid-19 through transmission of the virus through the air.

N95 masks are now recommended when two-metre distancing cannot be maintained from a confirmed or probable case, such as when entering an enclosed space.

Director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said protecting frontline managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) workers is a ‘‘top priority’’ in the ongoing effort to eliminate Covid-19. He said the use of PPE will depend on the situation and masks will not always be required.

The new guidance applies to healthcare staff when providing direct hands-on care and when undertaking or assisting with daily health checks of people who were confirmed or probable cases.

It may also apply to staff in other roles, including Defence Force staff, if they are required to perform tasks that involve them being within two metres of a people.

Masks will also need to be worn when transferring a confirmed or probable case from one facility to another, or from a facility to hospital. Staff requiring a

N95/P2 mask must also be trained in fitting them, including a check for good fit.

They cannot be used with beards, as facial hair limits protection by preventing a good seal against the face.

It comes after the New Zealand Nurses Organisation raised concerns about the health and wellbeing of nurses in MIQ facilities.

Earlier in the month, NZNO industrial services manager Glenda Alexander said it was ‘‘alarming’’ nurses working in MIQ facilities ‘‘still do not have consistent access’’ to N95 masks, or the fit tests that make them effective in preventing airborne transmission of the virus.

Two nurses and a Defence Force staff member recently contracted Covid-19 through their work in MIQ facilities.

The union said they did not have access to N95 masks – a ‘‘clear breach’’ of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Bloomfield said the provision of appropriate PPE ‘‘has always been an important part of protecting the health of our frontline workers’’. He said fit testing and training for staff in facilities was expected to be completed early next month.