Daily COVID-19 digest

New essential travel approval process: As we move into the months ahead we recognize that there is work that is essential to our operations that may require travel. We also understand that as our knowledge of the pandemic evolves, there may be uncertainty around what essential travel means. To help our teams manage essential business travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have implemented a new online travel approval process. To make it easy for you to understand how the new process works, we have added a new travel approval page to Connect. On that page you will find detailed information, including step-by-step instructions for submitting a request and criteria for how decisions will be made. While we hope to see a time where we can resume normal business travel, it is too early to tell what it might look like if or when it returns. We will continue to follow the guidance provided by public health and provide updates to employees as they become available.

Some words of thanks from our donors: Our essential staff are on the frontlines every day because lives depend on it. We receive hundreds of notes of gratitude each week from donors after they have interacted with frontline employees and we think it’s important that you know how much of an impact you have made on them. Before you start your Canada Day celebrations, please pause to read a small selection of their appreciation:       

I have been donating as often as I can for two years. I was a bit nervous about my recent visit I had not been anywhere in months, so I was not sure how it would be. I had nothing to worry about, I felt SO safe. Everyone was so careful (kindly asking people to space apart, constant sanitizing, mask and glove use, and I heard someone get turned away for a slightly high temp). Everyone was their usual friendly and soothing selves and I genuinely enjoyed chatting with the nurse who took my blood (Guelph).

The added health and safety measures added for COVID-19 blew me away. I have someone at risk at home with me and I felt the most comfortable outside of my house at the blood donor event than I have felt at all during this outbreak. Everyone was expected to wear masks, I was confident that everything was wiped down, touching anything was kept to a minimum. I am so thankful that I feel comfortable to keep donating during this outbreak (Kamloops).

Question of the day: Have faints have increased since we removed salty snacks from the front of our collection’s events. Have we considered putting salty snacks outside the front of clinic for donors to each prior to clinic especially new donors?

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many changes have been made to our procedures to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. Our epidemiology and surveillance and quality assurance team are closely following the number of faints and other adverse reactions to the donation process.

So far, the donor reaction rate has not changed. Although, it may still be too early to tell as small changes may only be noticeable after we have tracked the data for a longer period of time.

We, along with the rest of the world are looking forward to a time where the changes to our procedures can be re-evaluated and potentially modified again. However, for the moment we are focused on keeping our employees, volunteers and donors safe by encouraging donors have a salty snack and drink water prior to visiting. This is one of the many ways that we are limiting the spread of COVID-19 in Canadian Blood Services sites.

Happy Canada Day!

Although celebrations may look a little different this year, we want to wish you and your family a safe and happy Canada Day. For many of us, this day takes on an even greater meaning. As Canada’s national blood operator, many of our teams on the frontlines in collections events, production and testing will be celebrating by providing lifesaving blood and blood products to patients across the country. What we do matters — thank you for all that you do to save the lives of patients in Canada.

Your daily digest will resume on Thursday.

 

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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.