SafeCare BC, a Burnaby-based health and safety association for B.C.’s 28,000 continuing care workers, is recommending B.C.’s Ministry of Health implement a provincial policy of mass testing all residents and staff at care homes whenever a resident or staff member tests positive for COVID-19.
Many recent outbreaks at care homes in Burnaby have started with staff members and then spread to residents.
The group says B.C. should follow the lead of Alberta and Ontario because it helps with early intervention to manage the spread of the disease sooner and contributes to the psychological well-being of staff.
“Staff are currently living in fear that they could bring COVID into the care home or home to their families. This is a huge mental health burden that our health-care workers shouldn’t have to bear,” said Jen Lyle, CEO of SafeCare BC, in a news release. “As we are seeing increased community spread of COVID-19, a mass testing strategy for those living and working in care homes makes sense. It’s a prevention tool, because the sooner we can identify cases, the better we can reduce the risk of transmission.”
Additionally, a mass testing strategy will also enhance the safety in care homes, as more people begin visiting family and friends in care, said a news release. The development of rapid testing options offers an opportunity to test people at the point-of-entry, the group said.
“With almost 70% of COVID-related deaths in B.C., residents of care homes, and with the number of cases continuing to rise in B.C., we can’t delay in implementing a province-wide policy on mass testing,” says Lyle. “We know that cases weren’t identified as early as they could have had mass testing been done. And this can have tragic consequences for our seniors and for those who care for them.”
