By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

effective immediately

Some masking requirements now in place for hospital staff and visitors at Red Deer Regional

Oct 17, 2023 | 2:06 PM

Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre is one of seven care facilities across the province to implement new masking requirements.

The Use of Masks to Prevent Transmission of COVID-19 Directive is intended to help prevent transmission of COVID-19, Alberta Health Services notes in an October 16 bulletin on its website.

This means enhanced masking is now required for AHS staff, physicians, volunteers, contracted service providers, and Alberta Precision Laboratories workers in patient-facing areas.

Patients and visitors are not required to wear a mask in these areas, AHS says, however masking is required for patients, designated support persons and visitors in the emergency departments and labour and delivery assessment/triage areas in those identified sites.

They add that no patient shall be denied services.

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In a statement to rdnewsNOW clarifying the non-denial of services, AHS says this:

“If a patient or visitor is unable to or declines to mask in these areas, care teams will work with them to ensure patients receive the care they need while taking steps to also protect others in hospital. This may include providing a face shield or other PPE or moving patients to available isolation or private spaces. AHS strongly encourages all visitors or designated family support persons to stay home when ill, in order to help us keep patients, families and care teams safe and healthy.”

The full list of facilities, as of Oct. 16, is:

• Royal Alexandra Hospital (implemented October 13)
• University of Alberta Hospital and the Stollery Children’s Hospital (these hospitals are co-located)
• Misericordia Community Hospital
• Grey Nuns Community Hospital
• Alberta Hospital Edmonton
• Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital
• Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre

The requirements are in place in all patient care areas, including elevators/staircases/hallways, common areas, gift shops, and cafeterias.

At Red Deer Regional, this also includes the Central Alberta Cancer Centre, which is co-located at the site.

According to the Alberta respiratory virus dashboard, between Oct. 1-7, there were:

-857 cases of COVID-19 detected (3,355 this season)
*up from 728, 591, 492, 379 and 308 cases identified each week

-145 COVID-19-related hospital admissions

-7 COVID-19-related ICU admissions

-8 COVID-19-related deaths (57 this season)

-in Central Zone this season (as of Oct. 7), there have been 421 confirmed cases, 78 hospitalizations, three ICU admissions and three deaths

-As of October 16, there were three units at Red Deer Regional on COVID-19 outbreak

Alberta Health Services goes on to say the following in their Oct. 16 masking update:

“Wearing a mask is optional for AHS workers when they are in an area where there is no contact with patients (staff break rooms/meeting rooms, corporate settings, health records departments).

“Masking is also optional at continuing care and Addiction and Mental Health settings that are not within an acute care site. However, AHS continues to respect the choice to voluntarily wear a mask in all areas and encourages those who want to wear a mask to continue to wear one.

“The decision to implement enhanced masking at this site is based on several factors including rate of hospitalizations, number of outbreaks, occupancy, test positivity, and situational context. Site signage will indicate enhanced masking has been implemented.

“As of October 16, there were 12 units on outbreak at Royal Alexandra Hospital, two units on outbreak at University of Alberta Hospital, five units on outbreak at Misericordia Community Hospital, two units on outbreak at Grey Nuns Community Hospital, three units on outbreak at Alberta Hospital Edmonton, and two units on outbreak at Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.

“Masking is just one strategy out of a package of preventive measures. As always, all staff are encouraged to mask, stay home when ill and, to continue to practice diligent hand hygiene as part of ongoing efforts to keep patients, families and each other safe and healthy. For more information and specific guidance, please refer to the Masking FAQ.”

AHS could not say at this time if it expects masking requirements to spread to other health care facilities around the province.