It’s a good day when a crowd of more than 50 people turn up to give blood, but not during the COVID-19 pandemic that has altered for now the way almost everything operates in the community.
One of those changes is part of Ontario’s state of emergency declared on March 17 to slow the spread of the emerging coronavirus that prohibits gatherings of 50 or more people in a public space.
And because of this rule, along with the recommended physical distancing measures to keep people apart and help prevent infection, some who turned up at a recent blood donor clinic at the Aurora Legion were turned away,
“I am happy to share that no donation events in Aurora were impacted due to venue closures, but we had to make necessary changes to our appointment template to respect social distancing while maintaining a maximum limit of 50 people at the facility at any given time,” said Malvika Arun, who is the local donor relations territory manager for Canadian Blood Services.
“This meant having to redirect some donors with booked appointments to a future donation event in the community. I apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused, and would like to thank all of our amazing donors for their dedication to supporting patients in need,” she said, adding that it is safe to donate blood during COVID-19 and critical for patients.
During these uncertain times, one thing remains constant and that is the need for blood, Arun said. As offices and businesses are closing, and people are practising physical distancing, Canadian Blood Services is asking donors who are healthy and eligible to donate blood at their local donor centre.
“Blood donor centres are places of wellness,” said Arun. “Our protocols for screening donors and cleaning our sites have always been extremely robust — respiratory infections are common, and we are prepared. However, as information about COVID-19 quickly evolves, we are taking additional measures to enhance our protocols to better protect anyone who comes through our doors.”
Like with other clinics across the country, Newmarket and Aurora are adhering to the advice from the Public Health Agency of Canada about the importance of people being able to stay six feet apart from each other.
That has prompted the need for donors to make appointments before giving blood. Walk-ins have temporarily been suspended.
“This helps minimize the number of people at donor centres, and allows for people to complete a pre-screening questionnaire before arriving for their donation,” said Arun.
All healthy and eligible donors are asked to book an appointment online at blood.ca, on the GiveBlood app, or by calling 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).
Here are upcoming blood donor clinics:
Newmarket
- Monday, April 6, 1:30 to 7:30 p.m., Alive Church, 145 Pony Dr.
- Friday, April 24, 4 to 7 p.m., Newmarket Community Centre, 200 Doug Duncan Dr.
Aurora
- Thursday, April 23 and Monday, May 18, 2 to 7 p.m., Aurora Legion, 105 Industrial Pkwy N.
Here are some of the new measures Canadian Blood Services has put in place at blood centres to help prevent the spread of COVID-19:
Enhanced cleaning measures
- We are adhering to the guidance of subject matter experts, and federal and provincial agencies, and have increased the frequency of cleaning within our donor centres. We will continue to ensure that the products we use effectively kill viruses on a variety of surfaces.
- The frequency of cleaning has been increased for all equipment and surfaces. Notably, we have enhanced our protocols for high traffic areas and resources — including donor beds, which will now be wiped down after each use, and pamphlets that will be either laminated and cleaned after each use or disposed of after a single use.
Additional wellness protocols
- Even though the majority of individuals who may come into our donor centres with mild symptoms will not have COVID-19, donors, employees and volunteers are being prompted before entering our buildings to carefully evaluate whether they are feeling well.
- We have staff in place at the front entrance of our donor centres and mobile events to help donors and other individuals actively screen to determine whether or not they should enter. Donors are being asked to self-defer and employees and volunteers will be asked not to enter the building if they are symptomatic.
- Healthy individuals who enter our sites are immediately asked to sanitize their hands and practise proper handwashing, coughing and sneezing etiquette. They are also being reminded to avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth and avoid close contact — ideally two metres apart — with others who are not feeling well.
- Individuals who enter our centres displaying symptoms will be provided with a mask and asked to leave. Additional cleaning measures will occur in this event to ensure the safety of our donors, employees and volunteers.
