'Continuous' masking returning to B.C. hospitals, clinics, care homes

Some health-care workers in British Columbia have started receiving notification that they will once again be expected to wear masks in medical settings, but the language is ambiguous about what exactly will be required and for whom.

Some health-care workers in British Columbia have started receiving notification that they will once again be expected to wear masks in medical settings, but the language is ambiguous about what exactly will be required and for whom.

CTV News has obtained a memo from Brian Sagar, executive director of communicable disease prevention and control for B.C., notifying workers that “in preparation for the viral respiratory illness (season) this fall and winter” they will be reinstating enhanced infection prevention and control measures in hospitals, family doctors’ offices, and clinics effective Oct. 3.

“(Measures include) continuous medical masking by health-care workers, visitors, contractors, and volunteers in all patient, client, and resident care areas,” reads one of the bullet points of his memo. “Patients, clients, and residents will mask when directed by a health care worker or based on personal choice.”

The memo does not include the word “mandate” or “mandatory” and doesn’t clarify whether anyone will be refused treatment if they don’t wear a mask, leaving room for interpretation.

CTV News asked Health Minister Adrian Dix to clarify whether masks would be strongly recommended or outright required starting next week, and he replied that there would be a press conference on Thursday with the provincial health officer to discuss the matter, along with immunizations, viral spread in the community, the impact on hospitals and related issues.

“It’s not a secret,” he said of the return of masks to health-care settings. “We’ve been talking about this for about a month. For the respiratory illness season in the fall, we would expect in health-care settings enhanced masking.”

Assaults, both verbal and physical, happen almost daily in health-care settings, and there are already concerns there could be an escalation in the wake of “enhanced masking,” even if it’s not a legal order.