N.L. nurses' union says it doesn't have the personnel to handle current COVID-19 surge

The union that represents registered nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador says that contrary to what the provincial health minister has said, the front line in the fight against COVID-19 is not OK.

Yvette Coffey, president of the Registered Nurses' Union Newfoundland and Labrador, told CBC News on Thursday that the current surge in provincial COVID-19 cases is widespread rather than concentrated in a few pockets as in previous outbreaks.

"In other waves of COVID-19 we had trigger points and we were able to pool resources to go to the areas with high admissions," said Coffey.

The surge has also affected hundreds of health-care workers, making them unavailable as they self-isolate. Coffey said there are 780 health-care workers in isolation across the province, a number that was more than 1,000 last week.

"Right now, we're already staffing hospitals and institutions with mandatory overtime or they're actually working short and that is their regular strategy."

The union is responding to comments by Health Minister John Haggie, who has said the health-care system can manage the rise in cases, even as the province has been regularly hitting new highs in hospitalizations and people in critical care due to COVID-19. Since Jan. 1, the province has announced 91 deaths — just over one per day, with monthly totals increasing: 21 in January, 26 in February and 44 in March.

Earlier this month Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald said the health-care system would be able to manage between 40 and 60 COVID-19 admissions. On Monday hospitalizations in the province hit 40 for the first time, and remained at 40 in Wednesday's update. 

Coffey said the actual number of patients and residents who are infected with COVID-19 either after admission or in long-term care facilities is much higher, claiming one long-term care facility in central Newfoundland has had an infection rate of about 60 per cent in recent days. 

A positive COVID-19 diagnosis means extra work for health-care staff, she said.

"We do not have the personnel. We do not have the manpower to handle this surge in COVID-19 illnesses."

Coffey said there are "major outbreaks" in several health facilities across the province, including the Health Sciences Centre and St. Clare's Mercy Hospital in St. John's, long-term care homes in Carbonear, Burin and Placentia, Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook, James Payton Memorial Hospital in Gander, and facilities in Labrador.  

"The system is not managing and we're operating right now on the backs of health-care workers and they're at their breaking point," Coffey said. 

"It's two years into a pandemic. Most staff have not had any significant vacation time."

Haggie said Thursday he and Premier Andrew Furey are meeting with the registered nurses' union Monday to listen to short-term suggestions from front-line nurses.