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COVID-19 Community Update: Staff screening procedures

There have recently been some questions regarding staff travelling to the region from other areas of the province, as well as questions about our process for screening these professionals to ensure the safety of our communities.

Together with our team in Human Resources, the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) has taken significant steps to balance the needs of our organization and the safety of the people that we serve during this difficult time.

WAHA is required to bring staff into our organization to ensure we are prepared to manage the COVID-19 pandemic as effectively as possible. However, we have also started stringent screening processes for all staff to ensure they are able to work in a way that is safe for them and everyone else.

When staff are hired from outside of the region they must participate in a screening process with our Occupational Health and Safety team. New and returning staff are screened before they arrive in each community and are screened again along with all WAHA staff before starting work each day. Also, all staff returning or coming to the region for the first time are tested for COVID-19 and wear masks until their test comes back negative.

These steps exceed guidelines from Ontario Health, but we believe the additional safety precautions WAHA is taking will further reduce the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak and better protect the health and well being of everyone in our region.

 

Get the latest information about COVID-19 in our region on our dedicated COVID-19 page or by following us on Facebook.