17 Mar COVID-19 Update – March 17th, 2020
As we continue to communicate and follow all recommendations from our local Health Authority and our Governing bodies, both The College of Dental Surgeons of BC and the College of Dental Hygienists of BC, we have now closed our office until further notice effective March 16th, 2020. We continue to contact our patients directly to reschedule their appointments for upcoming treatment and have staff available to answer any phone calls at the office. We hope that this closure is temporary but have not received any indication from our Health Authority in BC as to when we will be able to return to treat our patients in the office. Currently, all non-essential services are suspended to ALL dental offices, but our Dentists are available to treat urgent emergencies for patients with infections or are in pain starting March 23rd, 2020. We ask that you call our office directly should you have a dental emergency, so that we can direct our patients accordingly and still maintain additional recommendations and precautions when treating patients at this time.
In response to the Pacific Dental Conference, all our Dentists attended this Conference. On March 12th, 2020 in communication with the local Health Authority, The Dental Associations, and the Dental regulatory bodies, the risk of transmission and exposure was extremely low for our Dentists. The Chief Medical Health Officer for Vancouver Coastal Health stated at that time “conference attendees who are asymptomatic and did not come into direct contact with the positive case attendee do not pose any threat to clinic staff or patients.” Our Dentists were instructed to return to work as usual. All our Dentists are still non-symptomatic (11 days after attendance) and did not interact with the individual during the time in question. On March 16th, 2020 in the afternoon, Dr. Bonnie Henry along with the Minister of Health of BC advised that all attendees of the Pacific Dental Conference should self isolate for the remainder of the 14 days and can return to work on March 23rd, 2020. Our office responded immediately and closed our doors to patients. Please know that all our Dentists are feeling well and show no symptoms and continue to be low risk of transmission and exposure. In accordance with the CDSBC as instructed to ALL dental offices, we will be closed for the remainder of this week and will be only able to provide emergency care starting on March 23rd, 2020. Our Dentists are currently in self-isolation until March 23rd, 2020 but are available to speak to or assist any of our patients that may have dental emergencies by directing them appropriately.
Our office will continue to be in communication with our Governing Bodies and the Health Authorities, to get updates on how to proceed to protect our patients and staff. We value each and every one of our True Dental Family.
Thank you,
Dr Don MacRae, Dr Jeff Krawchuk, Dr Ersilia Coccaro, Dr Kevin Head