Here you will find information about criteria to assess risk for health care workers exposed to COVID-19 patients while at work as well as information about returning to work after exposure or illness.
Last update: September 22, 2021
Guidance for provincially standardized exposure criteria to assess the risk for health-care workers (HCWs) exposed to COVID-19 patients while at work. It supports health authorities and the Provincial Workplace Health Call Centre (PWHCC) to effectively screen and manage HCW exposures and provides recommendations for appropriate measures based on exposure risk level. It is recommended that HCWs be immunized for COVID-19 as they may be at a higher risk of exposure to communicable diseases in the workplace.
The guidance can be used to assess all HCWs who have been in close contact a with a confirmed COVID-19 patient while providing direct patient care without consistently using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
The guidance is summarized in the BC Health Care Worker COVID-19 Exposures Risk Assessment Tool - updated September 22, 2021:
Guidance for Workplace Health and Safety, public health staff and Medical Health Officers to support decision-making on return to work for health-care workers (HCW) with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. This includes HCWs:
- with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19.
- with symptoms compatible with COVID-19 who tested negative or who were not tested.
- who travelled outside of Canada
- who had close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case.
The guidance includes information on criteria for return to work, considerations for maintaining staffing levels and earlier return to work precautions.
Read the guidance:
