Some B.C. nurses still lack access to N95 respirators, union president says
With thousands of health-care workers calling in sick in B.C. each day as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread through the province, the head of the BC Nurses Union says a lack of access to personal protective equipment is contributing to the problem.
BCNU president Aman Grewal told CTV News on Saturday that she continues to hear from nurses around the province - particularly those working in long-term care and in the community - that they are unable to access N95 respirators.
This, despite the fact that such high-filtration face masks are increasingly being recommended to the general public during the Omicron wave.
"They need to do a point of care risk assessment to determine whether they need an N95 mask," Grewal said. "That should be an automatic that if the nurse feels that she or he needs that to protect themselves, that they have access to it, they don't need to go ask for it, that it's available for them."
"The way we used to do it before this pandemic, a nurse determined whether they needed that N95 mask and they were able to use that without having to ask for permission," she added.
Grewal said she didn't know a specific number or percentage of nurses struggling to access N95 masks in B.C.
She's not the only medical professional to have complained about a lack of such masks in medical settings, however.
Late last month, health-care providers who wanted to volunteer to administer booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine in public clinics were told they could not bring their own N95 masks with them. Instead, they were instructed to use the PPE provided at the clinic, which did not include N95s.
The number of B.C. health-care workers calling in sick has declined since earlier in the month, but it's still well above the historical average, according to Health Minister Adrian Dix.
At a news conference Friday, Dix said 7,952 health-care workers called in sick from Jan. 17 to 19. That was down from 11,010 during the same period the previous week, from Jan. 10 to 12.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world’s most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honored short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Significant police presence as Israeli flag flies at Ottawa City Hall
The Israeli flag is flying at Ottawa City Hall today to mark the country's national day, with plans to hold a private ceremony to mark Israel's Independence Day. There is a significant police presence at City Hall, including security barriers outside the main doors.
Hot history: Tree rings show that last northern summer was the warmest since year 1
The broiling summer of 2023 was the hottest in the Northern Hemisphere in more than 2,000 years, a new study found.
What to pack during an emergency
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.