As illnesses rise, Horizon reinstates mask rules

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A rising wave of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19 and whooping cough, has led Horizon Health Network to reinstate masking rules in all its facilities effective Tuesday. 

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The Regional Health Authority is describing its move as “strategic masking” – meaning that the rules will apply in all patient-facing and clinical areas, but not in non-clinical areas, including lobbies, hallways, and cafes.

But the network says mask wearing will also be encouraged in those areas.

In a press release issued Thursday afternoon, Horizon said its move is “in response to rising community rates of respiratory infection, including COVID-19, whooping cough and mycoplasma, with the expectation that the infection rates will rise further once school resumes.”  

Mycoplasma, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is bacteria that causes respiratory tract infections and “can damage the lining of the respiratory tract, including the throat, windpipe, and lungs.”

“Continuous use of medical grade face masks is required for health care workers and DSPs on outbreak units. On these units health care workers, DSPs and patients (when out of their room) wear a medical grade face mask at all times. Social visitors are not permitted to visit patients on a patient care unit experiencing a respiratory virus outbreak,” the release read.

“The health and safety of patients and families, and those who work and learn in our facilities, is supported with enhanced infection prevention and control practices during respiratory illness season. We thank the public for their cooperation as we take steps to reduce the risk of transmission of respiratory illness in our facilities and do our best to protect our most vulnerable patients.”

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Horizon made a similar move last year, but waited until October.

There’s no indication that Vitalité Health Network intends to follow suit. As of Friday morning, there was nothing on the authority’s website about the return of mask rules. 

According to data from waste water testing, COVID-19 activity in New Brunswick is “moderate.” But at two testing sites – St. Stephen and Campbellton – it’s “high.”

COVID levels in Edmundston, Miramichi, Bathurst, Moncton, Saint John East, Saint-John Lancaster, and Sackville are listed as moderate, and Fredericton’s reading is low. The data is from Aug. 18.

Over the Christmas break last year, an explosion of COVID and other illnesses wreaked havoc in provincial health facilities, prompting Horizon to urge the public to steer clear of its emergency departments, warn that its facilities were short-staffed because many workers were sick, and move some patients who didn’t need immediate medical care to long-term care facilities.

“Horizon‘s emergency departments remain extremely busy this week and we are continuing to ask the public to reserve the emergency departments for life-threatening, emergency medical issues and to seek care for non-urgent needs – including respiratory illness symptoms – in another setting, such as through a primary care provider, walk-in/after-hours clinics, scheduling a virtual appointment through eVisitNB, phoning Telecare 811 or consulting with a pharmacist,” Christa Wheeler-Thorne, Horizon‘s executive director for the Moncton area, said in an email to Brunswick News shortly after New Year’s Day.

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“Horizon‘s emergency care teams are treating a high volume of patients, and we are also seeing increased numbers of staff who are unable to work due to illness. Our dedicated teams are working very hard to care for our sickest patients, including those requiring trauma care, critical care and intensive care, and this will remain our priority.

“Patients with anything less than a life-threatening or emergency medical need will likely experience longer than normal wait times for care in our emergency departments as we continue to navigate these challenges. We are working closely with our partners at the Department of Social Development and the New Brunswick Extra-Mural Program to ensure patients can be safely discharged home with supports – including interim care hours – in place.”

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