Nearly 200 COVID-positive health-care workers in the Horizon Health Network were isolating by Friday, according to the regional health authority.

It’s unclear how many workers at Sackville Memorial Hospital are affected, but that figure included 41 health-care staff in the health region overall.

CHMA reached out to officials from unions representing health-care workers to learn how the rapid spread of COVID-19 is affecting their members and hospital operations.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees represents approximately 140 job classifications in the health-care system.

Examples include pandemic screeners, security guards, clerical staff, patient care attendants, maintenance workers, housekeeping and dietary staff.

Norma Robinson, president of the New Brunswick Council of Hospital Unions, CUPE Local 1252, said efforts are underway to procure personal protective equipment to safeguard workers from the highly contagious Omicron variant.

The self-isolation of infected workers is putting further strain on the health-care system, but there was no indication the issue was particularly severe at the Sackville hospital by Friday, she said.

Patients may encounter delays, and she asked the public for patience. “It might take a little bit longer, but we’re there to serve, and we’re trying to keep everybody healthy and safe,” she said.

Alana Best, a nursing unit clerk and CUPE union president at the Sackville hospital, said COVID-19 was more nerve-wracking earlier in the pandemic, but the situation remains difficult.

“I think it’s still hard for people, there’s still so much unknown and there’s a lot of change,” she said.

Paula Doucet, president of the New Brunswick Nurses’ Union, said nurses are “absolutely exhausted” almost two years into the pandemic as Omicron sweeps across New Brunswick and the country.

The union represents about 9,000 members, including registered nurses, nurse practitioners and licensed practical nurses.

Retention and recruitment are major issues at the Sackville Memorial Hospital, resulting in ongoing service reductions, she said.

In the future, Doucet suggested the delivery of health care in Sackville could involve what she called a multi-disciplinary clinic instead of a hospital, though she acknowledged it’s a big debate.

“Right now we know in particular Sackville is struggling to maintain emergency service,” she said.

“But is there an ability to have a multidisciplinary clinic so that the community has access to say, a nurse practitioner, and registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, and dietitians and social workers and psychologists? Because we all know right now the wait time for some of these other professionals is great.”