Worker at Sask. COVID-19 testing lab cleared for work shortly after international cruise

A health care worker in one of the Saskatchewan labs that handles COVID-19 testing is alarmed after learning that a co-worker who returned from an international cruise on Sunday has been cleared to come back to work without self-isolating.

"I'm thinking you are introducing a potential risk to the people who are actually doing the testing," the worker said in a phone interview. The front-line worker agreed to the interview on the condition that CBC conceal their identity.

The provincial and federal governments have said Canadians who've travelled internationally must self-isolate for 14 days before returning to work. 

But on Sunday, the province said that health care workers are an exception to that rule.

• No self-isolation for Sask. health care workers recently returning from international travel

Staff who returned from international travel before March 16 are cleared to go to work immediately after arriving home, provided they don't show symptoms, had not been in contact with an infected person and hadn't travelled to Italy, Iran or Hubei, China.

You've got to maintain the integrity of your testing people and not try to throw grenades into the midst.- Worker at a provincial COVID-19 testing lab

The unnamed worker who spoke with CBC works at one of two facilities in the province that handle COVID-19 test swabs. They said they're surprised the province would allow someone to return to such a crucial facility from a cruise, something they described as a "cesspool of risk," without self-isolation. 

"How can you allow this when [they've] only been back in Canada, in Saskatchewan, literally hours before the mandatory cutoff," the front-line worker wondered. "You're going to wipe out your main testing lab? Are you serious?"

The worker said they are well aware that most health care professionals in Saskatchewan will probably get the virus at some point, but said that doesn't justify a lack of caution. 

"You've got to maintain the integrity of your testing people and not try to throw grenades into the midst."

CBC asked the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) for a comment on the concerns raised by the complainant.

An email response from an SHA official didn't address them.

Instead, the official pointed out that as of March 16, health care workers are required to self-isolate after returning from international travel. The SHA noted that there may be some exceptions.

"Health care workers who return from travel that are determined to be essential by the SHA to the delivery of patient care through this process may return to work and will be directed to take additional precautions to reduce the risk to their patients, colleagues, and the public," the email said.