New masking rules for health-care settings in B.C. coming into force Oct. 3, officials confirm

B.C. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix will hold a media conference at noon Thursday about changes for the province's health-care facilities, include masking, as the number of COVID-19 cases rise.

Dix said Thursday morning that Henry would explain the latest data around respiratory infections, such as the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and recommendations to prevent their spread, but did not provide any specifics.

"We'll talk about things like measures to protect people … issues such as masks," Dix told CBC On The Island host Gregor Craigie on Thursday morning.

There has been speculation for weeks whether the province would reintroduce some kind of requirement for wearing masks to try to limit the spread of respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, which have become more widespread in late summer and early fall.

'Continuous masking'

A leaked provincial memo calls for "continuous masking by health-care workers, visitors, contractors and volunteers in all patient, client and resident care areas" starting Oct. 3.

According to the memo, whose wording was shared with CBC News by a retired physician, masking will also be required in physician offices and outpatient clinics but says "patients, clients and residents will mask when directed by a health-care worker or based on personal choice."

Retired emergency physician Dr. Lyne Filiatrault, a member of Protect Our Province, a group advocating for evidence-based interventions around COVID-19, is calling on the province to mandate mask-wearing in health-care settings.

She says leaving it open to "personal choice" could put vulnerable people at risk.

"So, if you're a patient and you're going to the emergency department and you make it a personal choice not to mask, who's going to tell you, 'hey there's a lot of vulnerable patients in the this waiting room, wear a mask?'" Filiatrault said.

"Everybody masking is ideal because it decreases the amount of virus in the air that we share."

Data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) shows COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths all increased during the four-week period from Aug. 20 to Sept. 16.

Confirmed cases nearly doubled over that time, from 366 in the first week to 628 in the final week. There were also 178 COVID hospitalizations reported in the final week. Deaths are also on the rise, with 10 reported in the first week to 22 in the last week.

Dix says the province has previously stated it would expect "enhanced masking" in health-care settings for the respiratory illness season in the fall but did not say whether the new rules will be mandatory.

The minister says ensuring people who are already sick in hospital have the maximum protection possible during the season is important.

The minister said Thursday's announcement will also include details of the province's fall vaccine campaign for both COVID-19 and influenza.

In April, the province ended its universal mask mandate in health-care settings, which was put in place amid the COVID-19 pandemic.