Horizon, Vitalité drop routine COVID-19 testing of most hospital patients – CBC
Only those with symptoms before admission or before surgery are being screened, with some exceptions
Feb 03, 2023
New Brunswick’s two regional health authorities have stopped routinely testing all patients for COVID-19 before hospital admission, before surgery, and before transfer between facilities.
Only patients with symptoms of the virus are being screened, with some exceptions.
In an internal document obtained by CBC, Horizon Health Network cites being in a “transitional phase” of the pandemic and the need to provide a “more sustainable and stable approach” to managing suspected and confirmed COVID cases.
“Testing all patients at admission or prior to surgery was recommended during the acute state of the pandemic, when there was a high rate of community transmission and a low level of immune protection. This testing strategy no longer applies,” the Jan. 18 bulletin from Horizon’s infectious disease and infection prevention and control COVID-19 committee states.
