It's business as usual at Sudbury's Health Sciences North (HSN) hospital despite the lifting of masking rules and vaccination passports in Ontario.
As of March 14, mandatory vaccination policies in long-term care homes in Ontario are being lifted for employees, volunteers, and contractors, though many are opting to keep them in place. Also, taking effect this day is the cancellation of vaccination policies that were put in place by Letters of Instruction to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility.
This goes along with the earlier easing of restrictions for such things as capacity limits
It's not the same story for hospitals, said HSN communications manager Jason Turnbull on Monday.
"Masking continues to be required at all times for our HSN health care workers, patients and visitors, along with proof of vaccination and screening to enter our buildings," said Turnbull.
He said these measures will continue to be in place "for the foreseeable future given the virus is still prevalent in our community" and Northern Ontario continues to have significantly more active cases than the rest of the province.
Turnbull also made reference to Directive No. 6, which was issued previously by Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health that required Ontario hospitals, home and community care service providers, and ambulance services to have a vaccination policy, with an implementation date of September 7, 2021.
Turnbull said that directive will have "no impact on HSN’s mandatory vaccination policy for employees, medical staff, students, learners, volunteers and contractors. We have 99.8-per-cent compliance for our vaccination policy and 0.2 per cent who have medical exemptions".
The hospital visitors' information web page outlines that all visitors are required to have COVID vaccinations and wear masks.
"Visitors and Designated Care Partners are required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, or an approved medical exemption, along with government-issued photo I.D., in order to visit with patients at all Health Sciences North (HSN) facilities," said the visitors' page.
"We are asking all patients and visitors coming to HSN to please wear a mask as an added step to reduce the spread of germs and protect vulnerable patients. Handmade masks are NOT acceptable. When you arrive at the hospital as a patient or care partner a hospital approved mask will be provided to you and you will be expected to wear it during your time at HSN to keep yourself, other patients and care partners and our staff, physicians, learners and volunteers safe," said the HSN website.
"Patients going for a procedure where they must remove the mask will be asked to keep it ready to be put back on once the procedure is completed," said the website.
Len Gillis is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter at Sudbury.com, covering health care in Northern Ontario. The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible with funding from the federal government.
