Horizon Health changes some COVID-19 protocols from its facilities

New Brunswick's Horizon Health Network has made some changes when it comes to COVID-19 protocols, according to a memo obtained by CTV News.

Those changes include:

• Pre-op COVID-19 testing will be limited to patients with symptoms or at a high risk of recent exposures.
• The need to use COVID-19 OR Pods with suspect/ proven COVID-19 patients has been eliminated.
• Implementing routine cleaning after all cases, leaving terminal cleaning to the end of the day.

"You're still seeing full masking in the building. We're still doing screening. We still have restrictions in place for those who do test positive,” said Dr. Mark MacMillan, the former president of the New Brunswick Medical Society.

“So those things are still there and those safety measures are still in place.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Health said it was, “aware of the regional health authorities’ recent decision to stop testing asymptomatic New Brunswickers for COVID-19 when an individual is being admitted, is arriving for a surgery, or is being transferred in from another facility."

New Brunswickers are giving the loosening of COVID-19 protocols mixed reviews.

"I'm already afraid to go to the hospital, so I don't know if they're lessening things how I would feel,” said Fredericton resident Lynda Walsh.

Dawn Steeves says she agrees with the move.

"I think that they should probably drop some of them. I went there yesterday to the [Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital] and I found it really confusing,” said Steeves.

An advocate for seniors is concerned that Horizon Health is throwing caution to the wind.

"For me, it sends alarm bells out there,” said Cecile Cassista, the executive director of the New Brunswick Coalition for Seniors.

“Every day we hear X number of seniors, X number of people have died. We're not out of the storm yet, far from being out of the storm."

According to the Department of Health’s most recent COVID-19 report released Tuesday, there have been six new deaths in the latest reported period between Jan. 29 and Feb. 4.

"Most hospitals are starting to make these changes. We're sort of seeing that transition into that world of needing to learn to function and live with this virus," MacMillan said.

“Perhaps we're even getting ready to enter the endemic phase of the pandemic. I personally feel that we're going to be wearing masks in hospitals for a very, very long time.”

Neither the Horizon Health Network nor Vitalité Health Network would provide CTV News with an interview on the changes.