Alberta health-care workers say new masks don’t seal, cause rashes and headaches

Masks delivered to health-care workers in Alberta this week are causing headaches and rashes for some, and don’t adequately seal to protect workers and patients, nurses say.

But the Alberta government says the masks are safe and said calls to nationalize the manufacturing of personal protective equipment (PPE) are politicizing a crisis.

One Calgary nurse, who CBC News has agreed not to identify to protect her employment, said before this week her unit was supplied with procedural masks from Edmonton-based Pri-Med, a company registered with Health Canada that makes medical supplies.

But now they’ve switched to masks from Vanch, a company based in Shenzhen, China, that focuses on radio-frequency identification products but also makes thermometers and masks.
继续阅读Alberta health-care workers say new masks don’t seal, cause rashes and headaches

Covid-19 stricken UK Health Secretary returns to work after seven days in self-isolation

UK HEALTH SECRETARY Matt Hancock has returned to work after recovering from Covid-19.

Hancock, who lead a press briefing today after being in self-isolation for seven days, said he came back “redoubled in my determination to fight this virus with everything I’ve got”.

“And we will strain every sinew to defeat it once and for all.

“And I will stop at nothing to make sure that frontline staff have the right equipment so that they are safe and can have the confidence they need to do their jobs.”

At today’s briefing, the Cabinet minister defended his decision to prioritise testing of patients over NHS staff and said he thought any health secretary would have done the same.

Hancock went on to lay out his “five-pillar” testing strategy, saying that would be the route to moving from 10,000 tests a day in the UK to 100,000.
继续阅读Covid-19 stricken UK Health Secretary returns to work after seven days in self-isolation

Toronto cancels all city events and permits until June 30 citing COVID-19 outbreak

Toronto Mayor John Tory says all major city events and event permits are cancelled until June 30 as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise.

Pride Toronto’s Festival Weekend and the TD Toronto Jazz Festival are among the cancelled events.

The city now has 793 cases of the virus. Of this number, 628 are confirmed and 165 are considered probable. A total of 65 people are in hospital, with 33 in intensive care beds. The city has registered eight deaths attributed to COVID-19.

Tory said the city has to take these steps to ensure the health of its citizens, including essential workers and vulnerable people.

The events include festivals, conferences and cultural programs, Tory added. Included are all city permits for major events organized by external groups at civic centres, parks and public spaces, and city-operated museums and cultural centres.
继续阅读Toronto cancels all city events and permits until June 30 citing COVID-19 outbreak

4 passengers die on stranded cruise ship carrying 247 Canadians

荷美航運公司今天表示,「桑達姆號」(Zaandam)郵輪傳出數十人出現類流感症狀後,被多個港口拒絕泊靠,已滯留南美的太平洋外海數日,目前已有4名年長乘客病故。

法新社報導,桑達姆號上約有1800人,目前行駛於巴拿馬水域,因為擔憂出現2019冠狀病毒疾病(COVID-19)疫情,好幾個國家的港口拒絕郵輪靠岸。

荷美航運公司(Holland America Line)發表聲明說:「公司證實,桑達姆號上有4名年長乘客過世。」

聲明提到:「昨天有數名出現呼吸道症狀的乘客對2019冠狀病毒疾病進行採檢,兩人驗出陽性。」

桑達姆號3月7日駛離布宜諾斯艾利斯,原定應在21日抵達智利首都聖地牙哥附近的聖安東尼奧(San Antonio)。桑達姆號14日短暫停靠旁達阿里納(Punta Arenas)後,因為據稱船上有42名乘員出現類流感症狀,遭拒絕停靠數個港口。

桑達姆號打算駛往美國佛羅里達州,但必須先通過巴拿馬運河,有關當局今天拒絕郵輪行經。荷美航運公司已派出另一艘郵輪鹿特丹號(Rotterdam)攜帶救援人員、快篩套組與援助物資到巴拿馬水域與桑達姆號會合。

荷美航運公司說,桑達姆號上1243名乘客中53人、586名船員中有85人「已向郵輪醫療中心通報有類流感症狀出現症狀」。

桑達姆號打算將沒有生病或接觸到患者的乘客轉移到鹿特丹號,將患病乘客與所有船員留在桑達姆號。
继续阅读4 passengers die on stranded cruise ship carrying 247 Canadians

Fake coronavirus doctor’s note from worker closed Hamilton McDonald’s: police

An 18-year-old Hamilton woman is facing four charges after police say she faked having coronavirus to get out of work.

“She just didn’t want to go to work,” Hamilton police Const. Lorraine Edwards said.

“[With] the magnitude of what’s happening in the world today, COVID-19 and the seriousness of what we’re all having to deal with … this particular incident definitely needed to have police attention.”

On March 21, CBC News reported that an employee at the McDonald’s location at 20 Rymal Road East tested positive for the novel coronavirus, based on an email statement from a company spokesperson.

As management began working with Public Health Ontario to confirm the case, Hamilton Public Health Services learned of the incident through CBC News.

McDonald’s closes Rymal Road location after employee tests positive for COVID-19
On March 23, police say it received information from officials about the employee, who handed in the forged medical information four days earlier.

The employee had previously worked on March 15, prompting the franchise to ask customers who were in that day to approach Public Health Ontario if they had any questions.

After receiving the note, the McDonald’s restaurant closed, sent all employees home to self-isolate and had professional cleaning services sanitize the store.

“It affected employees, customers that came in and out … and again, just the financial cost to have the store sanitized,” Edwards said.

“It’s unfortunate we have a young girl that’s made a poor decision… and it’s led to criminal charges.”

The store has re-opened. The 18-year-old woman faces four charges:

Mischief over $5000.
Fraud under $5000.
Use a forged document.
Making a forged document.

She is set to appear in court on May 18.