Daily COVID-19 digest

As Canada’s health systems bounce back, so does the need for blood: The need for blood is gradually increasing as hospitals resume procedures that were put on hold due to COVID-19. Elective surgeries will gradually ramp up across the nation in the coming weeks, while urgent surgeries continue. Canadian Blood Services’ ability to adjust and respond to rapid changes has been challenged like never before. Read more about how we are meeting patient needs in a fast-changing world on blood.ca/stories.

PPE tracker update:  We know that personal protective equipment (PPE) is top of mind for many employees — especially those of you on the frontlines. Every Thursday, we update our PPE inventory tracker to help you understand how our supply levels are doing and the actions we are taking to address new considerations or challenges.  In this week’s overview, our supply chain and procurement team provide some insight into our levels of cloth masks and wipes, as well how we have addressed reactions from employees on our supply of hand sanitizer. Read more by going to blood.ca/employees/ppe.  

Digital donor cards now available in Apple Wallet: As the need for blood gradually increases, we are making it easier for donors to be able to access their donor card. The Canadian Blood Services digital donor card is now available through the Apple Wallet mobile app. Thanks to this development, donors no longer need to find and launch the GiveBlood app to locate their card, as it is now stored both in the app and the iPhone's digital wallet. If you have questions on this exciting new development, please send them to communications@blood.ca.

Question of the day: I don’t think the surgical masks are environmentally friendly. Can I wear my own?

We encourage our collections staff and volunteers to wear the surgical masks available to them. The surgical masks are a better solution for an individual who needs to wear a mask over an extended period of time. Over time, cloth masks become hard to breathe through and become moist which can render it less effective than surgical masks.

With this in mind, unless for health reasons an employee cannot wear one, we strongly encourage all staff to wear a surgical mask. As we plan ahead, we will need to consider the environmental impacts of our responsive measures.

About the daily digest

This daily digest will highlight the latest policy and employee support measures, resources to help you manage our new reality and original content like articles and videos to remind us that what we do matters. Things are moving quickly, so you can expect to hear from us daily. No access to email? No problem — all this information and more can be found on blood.ca/employees from any device, no login required.

Click here to read past editions of the daily digest.

Have questions? Check out blood.ca/employees or email us at communications@blood.ca.