This piece of news came across my attention this morning.
The Toronto Star reported that my local hospital here in Burlington is allowing staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 to return to the front lines as long as they are asymptomatic.
The article goes on to explain that the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health on this are confusing at best. It is common knowledge that asymptomatic carriers of the virus are still contagious. We’ve known for sometime as can been demonstrated in this March 30th article in Bloomberg news.
Which is why when our Minister of Health says in a news conference that she’s only recently learned of the problem of asymptomatic carriers of the virus, it is unsettling at best:
Our government needs to make sure they are the first to be aware of new trends in the development of the pandemic. The guidelines being given to our front line health care workers cannot be a day late and a buck short in this case.
We need to make sure that our front line protectors are being given the most up to date and relevant information. Especially as the situation is changing so rapidly. We can’t afford for our nurses and doctors risking their lives on the front lines of this pandemic to be given outdated information. Not only does it put their lives in jeopardy but ours as well.
I’ve said before that the Ford government has risen to the demands of the occasion with the COVID-19 pandemic. Now isn’t the time to become complacent.
Update:
Another Update:
According to Joseph Brant hospital the Toronto Star is wrong and no staff have been allowed to return to work after having tested positive for COVID-19.
You can read the press release here.
Joel MacLeod.ca 