Trouble booking boosters? How Omicron is impacting every workforce, including health care
With St. Vincent’s testing site still temporarily closed in Vancouver, those with COVID-19 symptoms who live in the area are now being relocated to the University of British Columbia's Life Sciences Centre.
The lineup on campus at 2350 Health Sciences Mall on Monday was significantly shorter compared to what Metro Vancouver has witnessed in the last week, with lineups at testing centres lasting for nearly five hours.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry urged British Columbians at a news conference Friday morning not to go to a testing centre unless they have symptoms, as the province has reached its capacity for conducting PCR tests, adding that B.C. would be prioritizing those tests for people at greater risk of complications from the virus, specifically those over age 65, those with weakened immune systems and people experiencing severe symptoms.
PCR tests are also being reserved for front-line health-care workers, who must have certainty that their symptoms are not COVID-19 in order to continue working in B.C.’s stretched health-care system.
“British Columbia is certainly not alone in not having enough testing capacity given the surge of Omicron,” said Cynthia Carr, an epidemiologist based in Winnipeg.
“Labs simply cannot keep up.”
OMICRON IMPACTING WORKPLACES
The speed at which this new variant, known as Omicron, is overtaking its predecessors is now infiltrating every layer of life. Omicron appears to be impacting employees at virtually every workplace in Canada.
“With Omicron being so highly infectious, you’re going to have a portion workforce, that can’t come to work because they’re infected. They need to stay home,” said Carr.
Hendrik Van Ryk is the CEO of H&H Total Care Services, a privately owned organization that runs five care homes, with locations across Vancouver Island and the Interior.
He says since the beginning of the pandemic, care homes have had to deal with COVID-19 outbreaks, staff shortages and now, Omicron is keeping even more workers at home.
“They’ve been getting COVID symptoms in the last number of weeks. They have to be off for a number of days before they can come back,” said Van Ryk.
Dr. Henry recommended on Friday that anyone who has symptoms needs to stay home and self-isolate for seven days, if they are fully vaccinated. If they have had less than two doses of vaccine, the recommended time for isolation is 10 days.
STRUGGLING TO BOOK BOOSTERS
In addition to Van Ryk’s staff being off sick, he told CTV News that some of his staff members are also having difficulty booking appointments for their boosters, despite being eligible.
“They had a number of their appointments cancelled. They weren’t told why and were unable to rebook their appointments at this point,” said Van Ryk.
In a statement to CTV News, the Ministry of Health said if someone has received their invitation to book and is having difficulty accessing the booking system, they are advised to call 1-833-838-2323. Translators will be available.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a news conference on Friday that B.C. had 25,000 appointments available this week and urged British Columbians to book once they receive their invitation.
The Ministry of Health added that invitations to those 61+ will be sent on Tuesday and invitations will be sent to British Columbians 60+ two days later. The ministry said it will continue to prioritize those at greatest risk first such as people who are clinically extremely vulnerable, are Indigenous, received two doses of AstraZeneca, are health-care workers or are homebound with different disabilities.
The B.C. government said it plans to complete its booster campaign for people 18 and older by the end of March.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.