eastern ontario hospitals, health settings looking at co-ordinated approach to loosening mask rules
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file photo: 'i think it is reasonable to revisit what we need to continue at this point,' said dr. vera etches, medical officer of health for ottawa public health.
tony caldwell
/
postmedia
hospitals in eastern ontario will take a co-ordinated approach to loosening mask mandates, the city’s medical officer of health, dr. vera etches, said monday.
some hospitals in southwestern ontario announced late last week that patients and visitors would no longer be required to wear masks at all times, dropping requirements introduced during the pandemic. mask wearing will still be required at those hospitals under some circumstances — including for physicians in close proximity to patients and in waiting rooms in high-risk areas of the hospitals. the changes were to have kicked in this week.
etches said hospitals and health units across eastern ontario have been discussing the issue since public health ontario released new guidance last week that opened the door to loosening masking regulations in health-care settings during periods of low respiratory virus transmission.
“people are interested in taking a co-ordinated approach,” etches said in an interview after monday’s board of health meeting. “we are looking to build a common understanding.”
public health ontario recommends infection prevention and control measures be tailored to the risk level. health-care worker masking is highly recommended at in-patient clinical areas during high-risk periods, and less strongly recommended, or should be considered in other health-care situations, such as out-patient clinical areas. during low-risk periods, a decision on health-care worker masking should be based on the situation, according to public health ontario guidance.
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“during non-high risk periods, some measures may still be considered from the high-risk period based on patient and staff transmission risk assessment,” according to the document.
etches noted that transmission of covid-19 in the community is still high, although there is not the same level of severe illness and death as at earlier periods of the pandemic when transmission levels were high. she also noted that rates of rsv and influenza are extremely low right now.
“i think it is reasonable to revisit what we need to continue at this point.”
for now, she said, oph health workers are still wearing masks in clinics, but that could change.
and etches said the value of masks during the pandemic has been clear and might have to be again used more widely in the fall when viral season returns or during high-risk periods of viral transmission.
she noted that experience has shown that the use of masks during high-transmission periods has helped reduce deaths — from covid-19 as well as influenza.
for now, she said, health settings are working on a consensus about how and under what circumstances masking regulations could or should be loosened.
ottawa public health will continue to update its covid-19 dashboard with wastewater and other data, she said, so if there is a change in covid-19 transmission “that will be clear”.
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