The Quebec Federation of Labor (FTQ) reacts with concern to the announcement by the Minister of Health and Social Services, Christian Dubé, to halve the duration of isolation for people infected with COVID-19.
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“This is news that worries us particularly when we know that workplaces are the places among which we count the highest rates of contamination,” declared the president of the FTQ, Daniel Boyer.
Under the new directive, a worker infected with COVID-19 will have to return to their workplace following just five days of isolation. For healthcare workers who come into contact with patients, it takes seven days.
“It is clear to the FTQ that it is necessary to prevent breakdowns in service in the health sector, but this new measure seems particularly risky to us,” added Daniel Boyer.
Workers who come into contact with colleagues carrying COVID-19 on a daily basis will be more exposed to the virus, as will the patients who will be treated by them.
In this context, we must remember the importance for all health personnel to wear the N95 mask which filters 95% of particles, unlike 50% for a procedure mask.
For the President, there are still several unanswered questions. For example, he wonders if people who are infected will work with those who are not.
The FTQ therefore calls on the government to clarify the instructions concerning this new measure in all other sectors of activity, because it is up to employers to ensure rigorous compliance with health measures to avoid as much as possible contamination on the premises. job.
“Employers must also ensure that they provide appropriate personal protective equipment to all their staff,” he recalled.
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