Thank you Salt Springers for your efforts to flatten the curve. It has worked and you have given local health care providers time to organize and prepare to care for you in the coming months. Ongoing, we will only post if there is news that is specifically relevant to Lady Minto and Salt Spring. Please continue to follow Dr. Bonnie Henry’s recommendations, wash your hands, do not touch your face and maintain your distance.

B.C.’s COVID-19 testing strategy has been expanded to include anyone with cold, influenza or COVID-19-like symptoms, however mild.

While testing has expanded, not everyone needs a test. COVID-19 testing is not recommended for people without symptoms.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to other respiratory illnesses including the flu and common cold. They include:

Fever chills cough shortness of breath sore throat painful swallowing stuffy or runny nose loss of sense of smell headache muscle aches fatigue loss of appetite

At this time, any physician or nurse practitioner can order a test for a patient with cold, influenza or COVID-19-like symptoms based on their clinical judgment.

If you do not have a primary care provider, please call Island Health’s Call Centre at 1-844-9…

Thank You, Salt Spring! – We Counted on You – and You Came Through! A big island thank you to everyone who has contributed to COVID-19 Relief during this unprecedented time. Through your generosity, we have raised $125,000 to help Lady Minto Hospital cope with this pandemic. To date, your donations have been used to provide: Hospital Scrubs C-Can container for COVID supplies Personal Protective Equipment for community medical staff and first responders The hospital is now well positioned to respond to immediate, short-term and longer-term needs, should this emergency situation continue for some time. We encourage you to continue to share your appreciation for Lady Minto Hospital staff. Your comments are very much appreciated. Look for more in-depth stories about the difference your contributions have made, in the next issue of the Minto Messenger coming soon! On behalf of the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation, thank you and stay safe. You made a …

Plans are being made to open up businesses and relax some of the restrictive measures that we have all been living with. This is an exciting, but also risky and scary time, and there are a few things to remember. We are incredibly lucky on Salt Spring to have more space than city dwellers to get outside while still maintaining at least 2 meters’ distance from others. However, as businesses open, all of us may find ourselves in situations where it is difficult to keep the appropriate distance. For this reason, masks are another tool we can use to help reduce spread. Even more important will be the need for all of us to be vigilant about our health and not go to work or go out if we are ill. If you develop any new respiratory symptoms - fever, cough or difficulty breathing - you must go home and book an appointment to have yourself tested for the novel coronavirus. Employers must not only allow workers to stay home when ill, but support them to do so. Our culture of going…

We would like to take a moment to update you on what is happening at the residential homes and what we are doing to keep our Residents safe during these trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic. As you are no doubt aware, the coronavirus is a particular threat to seniors, especially those living in long term care homes, and is now a top concern in Canada. We want to assure you that Greenwoods/Braehaven are operating safely through this threat. Staff and management are working closely with Island Health to implement the evolving directives for the care of the Residents.  The team continues to adapt to the changing protocols and we are seeing the concept of “continuous quality improvement” in action and at an accelerated pace.  Our excellent staff are providing extra care and cleaning and are doing their best to maintain an atmosphere of calm and normalcy in the residences. An Activity Team is providing programs for the Residents seven days a week.  Currently, there are no cas…

As most people know, there are COVID-19 outbreaks around the province including one on a small Island off the Northern part of Vancouver Island. While BC has done incredibly well under Dr. Henry’s guidance, these outbreaks tell us that the risk is still very real and present. At Lady Minto we are looking at ways to restart endoscopies, minor procedures, and non-urgent lab work while keeping staff and patients safe and minimizing the use of personal protective gear. Please be patient while we work out the best processes for these procedures. As we try to better understand the burden of disease in the community, there is now the opportunity for anyone in the community to self refer for COVID-19 testing. If you have symptoms and feel you should be tested, please call 811 and they will arrange an appointment for you at Lady Minto. Please do not just show up and please understand that the test is meaningless if you do not have symptoms. Please use this resource wisely. Fin…

Our efforts are working to flatten the curve, but international experience shows we cannot let up those efforts without putting many people at risk. Lately, we’ve been looking to the south where people are protesting these guidelines and demanding that the economy be restarted. What we really see are people with a complete disregard for those at risk, particularly for workers who literally put their lives at risk daily to care and provide for others. Most of the population remains susceptible to this virus and so we must proceed cautiously as we attempt to reduce some of the restrictions on our daily life. More testing will allow us to track and contain cases and this will be made available very soon. We will post instructions regarding access to testing in the coming days. Many people have been asking about the use of masks. Cloth masks protect others from the wearer’s droplets. As more and more information becomes available about people without symptoms shedding the virus,…

We continue to do extremely well in BC with very low numbers of COVID cases. This is thanks to everyone following the strategy proposed by our health experts to practice social distancing. That said, there continue to be new cases daily, including in our Health Authority. We seem to be settling into a pattern of a trickling stream of cases rather than a surge, which is good in terms of our health system’s ability to care for everyone. If this pattern continues, we may be able to start opening up some activities. While nothing will be done before our Provincial Health officials give the word, conversations are underway about how to safely re-open various community and hospital activities. Numerous businesses and individuals have been sending treats and snacks to the staff at Lady Minto. We cannot thank you enough for your generosity and caring at this time. All the banging of pots at 7:00pm, the gifts and well wishes, really lift our spirits. Thank you so much.

There is not much new to report today, which is wonderful. This is a case where boring is good. Unfortunately, all of us need to continue with what we are doing - social distancing and hand washing in particular.  As the days and weeks go by, new technologies are starting to emerge for diagnosing the virus, new treatments are being trialled, and vaccines tested. Canada is sourcing, purchasing, and ensuring arrival of personal protective gear for those who need it. All of this means fewer deaths. While we appreciate all the thanks being sent our way, we also want to thank everyone in the community who is doing their part. Businesses have stepped up to ensure their customers can be safe, and workers put themselves on the front line to make sure we all have access to groceries and other essentials. Please continue to enjoy the beautiful weather responsibly.

As we go into what looks like a gorgeous long weekend, the medical staff have a few concerns. Please celebrate virtually. It is imperative that we all continue to practice social distancing over the long weekend and not be lulled into a false sense of security. We would like to thank the Farmer's Market Society for making the difficult decision to postpone opening of the market until after the long weekend, so as not to send a contradictory message. The Farmer’s Market will open, as it is an essential service, but at a more suitable time. We are aware that BC Parks have closed. If you have private outdoor space, please stay there. If you need to go outside and have no yard, there are more than 20 other public spaces to visit on Salt Spring, listed here A reminder that the Provincial Medical Health Officer will not be naming individual  communities with positive tests for Covid-19. There is a risk of providing a false sense of security if a community is not named a…

Island Health wishes to remind everyone on Vancouver Island that if you are experiencing a medical emergency, we are ready to provide the care you need. As you are likely aware, Island Health, like all health authorities in B.C., has taken significant steps to reduce occupancy in our hospitals to ensure we are best positioned to respond to COVID-19. The Provincial Health Officer has been clear that the majority of people experiencing COVID-19 or similar symptoms can manage them comfortably at home. We are incredibly thankful to the people of Vancouver Island who have heeded our call to avoid unnecessary trips to our emergency departments. With that said, it is important that people who do require immediate care continue to seek it out. If you are experiencing symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath or serious abdominal pain, we want you to reach out for help. Call 811 for advice, call 911 or come to an emergency department if you believe you have an emergency iss…