Vitalité drops masks for staff when caring for some patients

Vitalité Health Network has quietly updated its COVID-19 masking rules, and they are even more relaxed than those of Horizon.

Health-care workers are no longer required to wear a mask with some patients, and patients are no longer required to wear a mask, provided they don't have any respiratory symptoms, according to a news release posted on Vitalité's website Tuesday, but not distributed to media or posted on social media.

"Several indicators from prevention and infection control have been taken into account to inform our decision to lift the mandatory mask requirement in all circumstances," the release says.

These include a decrease in COVID-19 hospitalizations, a decrease in the seven-day average positivity rate and a decrease in the number of positive employees, along with a "considerable decrease" in the number of outbreaks and hospital-acquired cases across Vitalité health-care facilities.

Places where employees are not required to wear a mask in the presence of patients include:

• In all Vitalité outpatient clinics with patients who are not hospitalized, including dialysis services.
• In all Vitalité psychiatry and child psychiatry units, mental health and addiction treatment centres and public health offices.
• In the Moncton region, Zone 1, in the Veterans' Health Centre and the geriatric units (3E and 3A) of the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre.
• In the Campbellton region, Zone 5, in the Restigouche Hospital Centre, and in the veterans' unit and transition unit of the Campbellton Regional Hospital.
• In the Bathurst region, Zone 6, in the extended care unit (Section 4 West) of the Chaleur Regional Hospital and the medicine unit of the Lamèque Hospital and Community Health Centre, where geriatric patients await long-term care placements.

Patients with symptoms allowed to enter

Staff known as screeners remain stationed at facility entrances to ask patients if they have respiratory symptoms. If they do, they will still be allowed to enter, but will be asked to wear a mask, according to the release.

Protection barriers between the seats of emergency department waiting areas will remain in place, an unidentified Vitalité spokesperson told CBC.

Visitors and designated support persons who report having symptoms will be "asked to refrain from entering," the release says. Those without symptoms will be provided with a mask upon entry, which they must wear "while in proximity to hospitalized patients."

For hospitalized patients, mask-wearing is "strongly encouraged" when moving around hospital corridors, the news release says.

When is masking still required?

Wearing a mask remains mandatory:

• For any employees, patients, or volunteers with respiratory symptoms.
• In direct patient care settings for hospitalized patients.
• Upon entering oncology units, the Dr. Léon-Richard Oncology Centre and the Mgr-Henri-Cormier Lodge, both in Moncton.
• For emergency department staff, when providing care to both admitted and non-admitted patients.

New Brunswick announced six more deaths from COVID-19 in Tuesday's COVIDWatch report. Nine people were newly admitted to hospital because of COVID between March 26 and April 1, including two who require intensive care. There were 155 new cases of COVID confirmed that week through 948 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) lab tests in the past week, for a positivity rate of 16.3 per cent.

COVID-19 vaccination rates remain unchanged after only 285 people across the province rolled up their sleeves for a shot in the past week, according to figures from the Department of Health. A total of 30.4 per cent of eligible New Brunswickers have received a second booster.

We ask you to use your judgment and wear a mask if you have symptoms or have been in contact with a positive case in order to protect the most vulnerable people.- Vitalité

Vitalité has 15 health-care workers off the job after testing positive for COVID-19, while Horizon has 39 infected employees.

"We remind you that COVID-19 is still present, and it is important to follow the guidelines and recommendations in place," Vitalité advises.

"We ask you to use your judgment and wear a mask if you have symptoms or have been in contact with a positive case in order to protect the most vulnerable people."

The regional health authority says it will "remain vigilant" and reassess its measures if there is an increase in respiratory virus activity.

Universal, continuous mandatory masking could be reinstated if there is an increase in cases in the community or in hospitals, it says. It could also be reintroduced during the respiratory illness season next fall.

CBC asked Vitalité  why the changes weren't announced more publicly, but did not receive a response.

When CBC asked last Friday about any pending changes to COVID-19 restrictions, an unidentified media spokesperson said Vitalité would be "presenting" updated guidelines early this week.

Horizon changes to masking, screening

At Horizon, health-care workers are now "encouraged but not required" to wear a mask in non-clinical settings, such as offices and break rooms, or where patients/clients and the public are not present, an internal memo obtained by CBC last week revealed.

Continuous masking is still required in acute and long-term care clinical settings, in public and common areas, and when leaving a non-clinical setting to travel through clinical settings, according to the memo.

Patients, designated support persons and social visitors are still required to mask.

No information about the masking changes was included in a news release issued by Horizon on Monday. It detailed only changes to the COVID-19 screening process.

Patients, designated support persons and social visitors are now asked to self-screen for symptoms of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, except in emergency departments and urgent care centres, where screening staff remain in place.

Patients who fail screening are still allowed to enter, but are advised to go directly to their appointment and inform staff so they can be isolated and managed under infection prevention and control guidelines. Designated support persons and social visitors who fail screening are advised not to enter.