New direction from Manitoba Health about masking up during flu season is an “easy step” to help keep vulnerable people healthy this flu season, the Manitoba Association of Senior Communities says.
As of Wednesday, Shared Health said, staff at Manitoba hospitals, personal care homes and other health-care facilities, as well as home-care workers, will be required to wear a medical mask when interacting with the public.
Association director Connie Newman told 680 CJOB’s The Start she’s content with masks being a temporary measure for now, as long as things don’t get worse.
“We went through a crisis for two years, and I think (we should) all (be) wise about where we are, and about how we carry ourselves.
“I was in a plane at the end of September, and I wore a mask. It was too close for me.”
Shared Health said Tuesday that masks will remain “optional but recommended” for those who visit health-care sites, and will be made available onsite.
There may, however, be a requirement for both staff and visitors in locations that include highly immunocompromised patients, including cancer and transplant units.
Newman said it’s all about being conscious of where you’re going and who you’re encountering in your day-to-day travels.
“To me, the worst thing is as I go to various places, I wonder about what germs are on the handrails, on the doorknobs,” she said.
“How am I carrying myself around in today’s society? Some days I wear a mask to protect myself.”