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Waypoint workers fear masks offer little protection from deadly virus

"Most employees are using surgical masks, which are not as heavy duty," union official says
2020-04-04
Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care officials say they are following the same directives as other hospitals. Andrew Philips/MidlandToday

Some Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care front-line workers are worried about their safety after being asked to wear the same mask for five straight days.

“Everyone is afraid,” said an employee, who asked not to be identified, noting staff are worried about contracting COVID-19 at work and then infecting their families.

The mask decision is laid out in a staff memo obtained by MidlandToday.

In the memo dated April 8, senior administrator Linda Adams tells staff that managers will distribute and log every mask provided to staff to control utilization and ensure mask conservation.

“Staff on clinical programs will be assigned a mask to wear on their entire shift and reuse for up to five (5) shifts,” stated Adams, who is vice president of quality and professional practice/CNE.

“Support services that are on the clinical programs will also receive a mask to wear and reuse on clinical programs until damaged or soiled. Masks are being provided to protect against asymptomatic transmission between staff as well as from staff to patients.”

Pete Sheenan, president of OPSEU Local 329 at Waypoint, said the decision affects about 1,100 employees, including nurses and front-line staff like those working in the facility’s housekeeping and dietary departments as well as allied staff such as social workers and psychologists.

“They’re not happy,” Sheehan said. “The administration is following the lines of every other hospital. We’re like every other hospital in Ontario that’s being forced to conserve and reuse masks.

“Most employees are using surgical masks, which are not as heavy duty (as N95 masks),” he said, noting regular citizens one might see in a grocery store or walking down the street are sporting the same kind of masks being given to Waypoint workers.

And while the province is now looking for ways to be able to reuse and sanitize N95 masks, Sheehan noted “nothing can be done for surgical masks” since they’ll more easily break down and fill with harmful bacteria.

“They’re asking people to reuse a one-time-use mask,” he said. “It wouldn’t really offer any protection.”

Sheehan said that OPSEU’s health and safety wing is studying what can be done by working with Premier Doug Ford along with representatives from the province’s ministries of health and long-term-care.

PPEs (personal protective equipment) is one of the main issues they’re talking about,” he said.

Kristi Lalonde, a spokesperson for the Penetanguishene facility, said  Waypoint has been and continues to follow the Chief Medical Officer of Health’s directive related to PPEs as well as a directive for its Horizon Program for geriatric psychiatry.

“This includes full PPE in the geriatrics program, for our ECT suite and for new admissions, symptomatic patients and in the eventuality we have confirmed cases,” Lalonde said, noting Waypoint hasn’t yet had a positive case.

“We have implemented many additional safety precautions beyond the Ministry of Health guidance and our regular outbreak procedures.”

Additional measures include isolating and testing all new admissions, using virtual technology/phone calls, limiting who comes in the building while having some staff work from home and enhanced screening of all staff that includes taking temperatures and the opening of a new special isolation unit.

“These decisions are based on meeting the Chief Medical Officer of Health directions and adding safety measures that also take in the need for conservation of our supplies and what is happening regionally and provincially with supplies for our hospital and health-care partners."

Lalonde said the global shortage of PPEs has been well-documented as well as concerns about the pandemic having no known end date.

“Varying reports note that this could go on for months and even longer than a year,” she said. “Our supplies are being monitored daily and we must report our inventory to the province each day.

“Similar to all hospitals in the province, our practices take into consideration procuring and utilization based on government directives and conservation of supplies to meet the needs of the hospital during this time of uncertainty.”

And because Waypoint’s operations don’t include an emergency department or walk-in services such as diagnostic imaging, it has been able to utilize bed spacing and physical distancing with patients and staff, according to Lalonde.

“Masks are being worn in our clinical areas and in any service areas where staff cannot keep the six-foot physical distance as an added precaution above what is directed to further decrease the chance of staff to staff and staff to patient transmission,” Lalonde said.

“Conservation remains a priority with the COVID pandemic continuing with no clear timing for when we may be lowering our precautions.”

Lalonde said personal masks for staff on programs and in areas that do not have any patients with symptoms are to be used only until soiled and damaged, or up to five shifts if they last that long.

“Staff receive regular training on donning and doffing PPE and are supported by our infection prevention and control team for all isolation needs,” she said.

“We are not allowing homemade or external masks in the hospital as we have extensive safety precautions in place including screening, using surgical masks and physical distancing, and we cannot ensure the quality, cleanliness or use of proper hygiene practices for these products which, if not done correctly, can pose added risk to patients and staff.”


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Andrew Philips

About the Author: Andrew Philips

Editor Andrew Philips is a multiple award-winning journalist whose writing has appeared in some of the country’s most respected news outlets. Originally from Midland, Philips returned to the area from Québec City a decade ago.
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