Doctors, dentists revisit mask policies as hospitals set to end mandate

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This article was published 04/05/2023 (902 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Private medical clinics, optometrists and dentists in Manitoba are considering changes to face mask policies after Shared Health announced the end of its mandate for most provincial health-care settings.

Patients were advised masking policies will likely vary from clinic to clinic when Shared Health ends its requirement for hospitals and personal care homes May 10.

In its updated guidance, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba said clinics and facilities that fall outside of Shared Health should plan to be “mask friendly,” which is in line with public health guidelines.

“We recognize that physicians are the best-suited to assess the risks within their practice and in their patients’ best interests and it is expected that they use their knowledge, skill, and judgment to protect patients, staff, and themselves from COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses,” registrar Dr. Anna Ziomek wrote.

Physicians who require masks were reminded they still cannot refuse to provide care to a patient who doesn’t wear one.

Doctors who aren’t masked must respect a patient’s request to wear one, Ziomek wrote.

Shared Health said Wednesday masks will no longer be required in most public health-care settings as of May 10.

Patients and visitors will be asked to wear a mask if they are sick.

Exceptions include visits to cancer or organ-transplant programs where immunocompromised patients are present.

Shared Health said the decision was based on advice from infection prevention and control experts, and reflected a decline in virus transmission.

Private clincs meet to discuss options

Many private medical clinics maintained a masking requirement when the Manitoba government lifted its mandate in March 2022.

Staff at multiple clinics met Thursday to discuss whether to ease their requirements.

At Seine River Medical Centre in St. Vital, masks will be optional but strongly encouraged for patients, especially those with symptoms of an illness, said family physician and clinic co-founder Dr. Abdalla Rizk.

Staff will continue to wear masks.

“For the patients, we’re respecting their wishes,” said Rizk.

He said there were no previous issues and he believes many visitors will continue to mask up.

“I think patients will still be cautious,” said Rizk.

A similar meeting was planned for staff at Assiniboine Medical Clinic in St. James.

Executive director Marc Desjardins said the clinic has typically followed public health guidelines.

“Logically speaking, it was bound to happen,” he said about Shared Health’s decision to ease its mandate.

‘Hard to enforce… if there’s not a mandate’

The Manitoba Association of Optometrists met Thursday night to discuss potential updates to its guidance for members.

“Our role is to protect the public. That’s always top of mind as we make our decisions,” president Dr. Nana Owusu said before the meeting.

The co-owner of Prairie Eye Care said its four Winnipeg locations are “mask friendly,” with face coverings not required for customers.

He said there will be a discussion about whether staff continue to wear masks full-time.

Owusu said he wasn’t aware of many optometrists that require customers to wear masks.

Dr. Nadine Shelton of NV Eye Care and Eye Wear in Corydon Village said she will continue to wear a mask.

Most of her patients and customers prefer not to wear one, given it’s not easy to do so while trying on glasses.

“It’s hard to enforce something if there’s not a mandate,” she said.

The Manitoba Dental Association is reviewing Shared Health’s decision, said president Dr. Scott Leckie.

“We want to get the temperament and we want to make sure we’re protecting the public,” the Winnipeg dentist said.

Cold, flu symptoms? Wear a mask: Doctors Manitoba

Doctors Manitoba, which represents physicians, said patients should follow the guidance at their clinic or doctor’s office.

People with cold or flu symptoms should wear a mask during their visit or call ahead for instructions.

“Masks have been an important part of keeping medical and health facilities safe during the pandemic,” a Doctors Manitoba spokesperson wrote in an email.

“While masks may no longer be required in most health settings after May 10, Manitobans should check the masking advice when visiting a facility or clinic as it could vary depending on the facility and the vulnerability of the patient population served.”

Some retail store operators continued to ask customers to wear masks after the province’s mandate was scrapped.

Whodunit Bookshop on Lilac Street lifted its requirement May 1. The decision was made after the University of Manitoba announced its mandate would end the same day.

“When the institutions of science and health are unwilling to maintain the standard, it’s really hard to do so as a book store,” said co-owner Michael Bumsted.

He said the requirement wasn’t an issue for a vast majority of customers, with about one per cent objecting or becoming aggressive when asked to put on a mask.

Bumsted said the absence of government data on COVID-19 transmission probably contributed “a great deal” toward the store keeping its masking requirement for as long as it did.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching