Masks are mandatory at Thunder Bay’s hospital starting Wednesday.
Officials say that all hospitals in northwestern Ontario are making masks mandatory and it will help with infection control in our region.
They hope the move will also normalize the use of masks and face coverings.
All face coverings will be accepted as a mask.
In an emergency, you can enter the hospital without a mask, but in non-emergencies the hospital will provide you a disposable mask and request a $2 donation.
Situation Manager Dr. Stuart Kennedy says they still ask you to bring your own if possible, to avoid depleting their supplies. Starting July 27, Dr. Kennedy expects you will be able to buy a fabric mask from the volunteer shop inside the hospital.
He urges you to wear a mask, saying it’s important to stay safe, even though we haven’t had many cases compared to Southern Ontario.
Dr. Kennedy says the District Health Unit hasn’t reported a positive test since July 2.
However, the hospital had a scare over the weekend when a locum physician from eastern Ontario tested “weakly positive.” He tested negative the next day, but Dr. Kennedy says they “did not allow him to see one patient” and he returned to eastern Ontario to self-isolate.
The hospital official doesn’t count that physician among the positive cases in the region, claiming the doctor likely picked up the virus before arriving.
“We have one active case at this point in time in Thunder Bay, but stage three is opening, and that’s going to put the population at increased risk for COVID-19,” he explains.
The hospital will likely not expand visiting hours, but this week officials will discuss letting more care partners visit.
