MEDIA RELEASE: Multiple personal care homes in Southern Region do not have N95 masks available

November 25, 2020
For Immediate Release

 

Multiple personal care homes in Southern Region do not have N95 masks available

The Manitoba Nurses Union is reporting that at least five personal care homes in the Southern Health Region do not have N95 masks available on site.

Reports from Menno Home, Lions Prairie Manor, Boyne Lodge, Douglas Campbell Lodge, and Villa Youville indicate N95 masks are not available to staff caring for residents. In many cases, staff have also not been fit-tested to use the masks. Four of these five care homes are experiencing COVID outbreaks, with the exception of Boyne Lodge.

“Nurses caring for COVID positive or presumed cases must have fit-tested N95 masks available, for the safety of staff and residents alike. It’s completely unacceptable that this far into the second wave, there are care homes in Manitoba that are not providing adequate PPE to staff.”

Under an agreement between MNU and Shared Health, which has also been agreed to by the Southern Health Authority, nurses must be provided with an N95 mask upon request, when caring for a COVID suspect or COVID positive patient. MNU has filed grievances with the region to immediately address the issue.

“It’s appalling that these care homes are failing to provide adequate PPE in the midst of an outbreak. It puts staff and residents at significant risk. It violates the basic rights of health care providers. Immediate action is required to get N95 masks into these facilities, and to complete fit-testing as quickly as possible.”

MNU represents over 12,000 nurses of all designations across Manitoba.
 

-30-