Amber Hardy, owner of River City Early Learning Centre (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Amandalina Letterio

COVID-19

Businesses frustrated with ever-changing COVID-19 directives from province

Jan 21, 2022 | 4:35 PM

KAMLOOPS — Businesses are being encouraged to continue exercising their own COVID-19 safety plans, but the Ministry of Health’s flip-flopping on Public Health Orders has many businesses feeling confused — and frustrated.

“If you have a mild illness like a sore throat or the sniffles, stay home. And if you feel better the next day, then you can go back to school or work or childcare,” said Provincial Health Officer Dr, Bonnie Henry in the provincial COVID-19 update on Friday (Jan. 21).

The COVID-19 guidance is ever-changing. The Omicron variant might be highly transmissible, but its more mild symptoms has the province telling the public to treat it like the flu or any other virus.

“It can be confusing certainly on a few levels,” Delta Hotel General Manager Bryan Pilbeam told CFJC News.

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“With our own team internally, trying to keep abreast of all the changes — make sure we’re doing everything as we’re supposed to be doing — so there’s that communication piece. You know, we’ve got about 120 employees that we have so we want to make sure everyone’s doing it the same way and following it the same way,” he explained.

Pilbeam says the Delta Hotel’s protocols follow the latest public health orders. It’s combined with the company’s own health check system to ensure employees and visitors stay safe.

But keeping staff safe is not as simple for childcare centre owner Amber Hardy. She believes the province’s latest direction isn’t enough to stop the spread.

According to Dr. Henry, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 and does not have symptoms does not have to self-isolate — meaning children are still allowed to attend daycare if a family member has COVID.

“We’re right there on the front line now being exposed. If one sibling has COVID, the other is allowed to attend, which is terrifying,” said Hardy.

And if a child tests positive, the self-isolation time has been cut in half to five days. Hardy says she’s keeping her policy at 10 days — and it has many parents upset.

She says this could be avoided if childcare operators were consulted by the Ministry of Health before it makes impactful decisions.

“Because then we can give a say from our point of view. Bonnie Henry doesn’t own a daycare, she doesn’t work with children on a day-to-day basis, so how could she compare what we should do to what she knows?” she said.