Thunder Bay regional hospital tightening masking requirements as cold and flu season looms

The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is increasing its masking requirements effective Tuesday. 

A spokesperson with the regional health hub said the hospital is experiencing impacts on inpatient units due to respiratory and influenza-like illnesses.

As a result, masking will be required on all inpatient clinical units and in the emergency department. The updated requirement applies to all staff, learners, volunteers and essential care partners and care partners, the hospital said.

"Essential care partners and care partners must wear a minimum level-three procedure mask when entering a patient's room and whenever they are unable to maintain six feet of physical distancing standards within the unit. Masking is not required when outside a patient's room unless you are unable to maintain a physical distance of six feet within a clinical setting," reads a statement from the hospital.

Officials said the 1A medicine unit, oncology units and the emergency department will require masks at all times.

Masks are available at all public entrances at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

The hospital spokesperson said they are continuously monitoring the need to expand masking requirements based on infection levels.

The move comes after several hospitals across southern Ontario have made similar changes to masking requirements, citing the start of flu season and the rise of COVID-19 indicators.

Many hospitals, including the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, had loosened masking rules in the spring.

As many hospitals backtrack on the loosening of masking rules, the Lake of the Woods District Hospital (LWDH) said last week it's taking a wait-and-see approach.

"We're going to pivot quickly depending on what's happening in the community. And we already know how to kick our plans into place if we need to. I mean, we had lots of practice during three years of COVID … we know what to do if we need to do it," said Ray Racette, president and CEO of Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

Racette said the hospital has been working with other organizations in the region to prepare for the season ahead. He said they've been carrying out exercises and scenario planning to prepare for any surges in illnesses, like influenza or COVID.

As the hospital prepares for the respiratory illness season ahead, Racette said there are also measures the general public can take to help with personal and public safety.

"There's probably going to be two strains of influenza this season. One might be worse than the other, and I think public health will be communicating more on that as we move forward," he said. "I would encourage people to consider getting a flu shot.

"We just have to be vigilant as we go through the season. We don't know what COVID is going to do. There's a new booster coming out, I think some new variants that have emerged and that should be coming out I think in the fall as well. So, these are all things that people can consider in terms of protecting themselves."