Bethesda Regional Health Centre in Steinbach

The province today announced new screening procedures for health care workers.

Lanette Siragusa is Chief Nursing Officer for Shared Health. She says the screening measures are being implemented for staff across all areas of the Manitoba Health system, beginning with those who are working in acute and long term care facilities.

Siragusa says these measures will be implemented today and will soon be in place in all facilities and services across the province.

According to Siragusa, when staff arrive for the start of their shift, they will have their temperature taken and be required to answer questions about any symptoms they may be having, their travel history and their exposure to COVID-19 cases.

Staff who are required to come and go during the course of their shift may be reassessed upon entry into the facilities and service areas. 

"This decision follows confirmation of health care employees at three different sites testing positive for the virus in recent days," explains Siragusa. "We must ensure that we are taking every possible measure to ensure our staff and our patients are protected."

Siragusa says staff must stay home if they are ill, even if their symptoms are mild. 

"We have a duty to protect our patients, our staff and our community," she says. "To ensure that, we need to take every precaution."