Citing a need to “move past the acute phase of the pandemic,” hospitals in Sarnia and Petrolia are ending the majority of social distancing and masking requirements for visitors, patients, and staff.
Bluewater Health announced on Tuesday that it would be rolling back COVID measures effective immediately to “better align with protocols in the community” while “still following the science.”
“We recognize that COVID-19 is here to stay,” said Dr. Haddad, an ICU physician and Bluewater Health’s chief of staff. “The incidence will fluctuate, but the experts indicate that there will be background infection risk for the long term. We have to plan to gradually and safely go back to normal, while we continue to focus on mitigating risk to vulnerable patients as we deal with this new respiratory virus for years to come. We need to move past the acute phase of the pandemic.”
Despite the policy change, Bluewater Health said masking remains strongly recommended for visitors while in a patient’s room.
While hospital staff will no longer be required to wear a mask for their entire shift, they will also be required to maintain masking for all patient-facing interactions
As well, mandatory masking will remain in effect in high-risk settings such as emergency department waiting areas and medical units that are in outbreak.
At the time of publication, masking remains mandatory nearby at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA).
In a brief statement, however, CKHA said Public Health Ontario recently released its updated its health standards relating to COVID-19. Hospital officials said they will be reviewing the new information and will update CKHA’s policies accordingly.