Some changes are coming at Eastern Health as 99 health-care workers are in self-isolation after possible exposure to a COVID-19 patient over the weekend.

Health Minister John Haggie says now, COVID patients from the Intensive Care Unit will no longer go back to the general floor.

He announced the changes during Wednesday’s COVID-19 update.

In terms of criteria for pronouncing someone “COVID recovered,” Haggie says there is a clinical context as some people are carrying significant other conditions with them.

He says the patient in this case was assessed against the protocol in place.

Haggie says that required two negative tests, appropriately spaced. The patient met the criteria at the time they left the ICU.

The health minister claims officials meet regularly with the majority of the unions involved in health care provisions in the province.

Officials Working on Improved Communication with Eastern Health

Meanwhile, Haggie says discussions around improved communication and timeliness of that communication are underway as it relates to the exposure at the Health Sciences Centre.

John Haggie says he only became aware that there was “a problem” after Monday’s COVID-19 briefing, when what he calls the “true confusion” around what had actually happened came out.

He says the magnitude of the problem, other than it being a simple transfer of a patient from ICU to the floor, was not apparent to him until later Monday.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald said she was also made aware on Monday, despite the incident taking place over the weekend.

As for why they weren’t immediately told; Haggie’s response was the same as the day before.

Meanwhile, the patient who was moved from ICU to the floor, was only moved after testing negative, twice.

Health Minister John Haggie says the testing is what it is, but his understanding is that the issue is around the way that Eastern Health approached the problem.

He says the issue of a person having multiple negative and positive tests shows very clearly that diagnosis is dependent on clinical things, as well as simple testing.

Haggie says to his knowledge, the patient is improving.