Hospitals could allow COVID-19-positive workers to work during “staffing crises,” RIDOH says

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE)- Hospitals throughout Rhode Island could allow healthcare workers who test positive for COVID-19 to work during a “staffing crisis,” according to the Rhode Island Department of Health.

RIDOH updated its quarantine and isolation guidance on Thursday, aligning it with the new guidelines from the CDC.

Under the new guidance hospitals are required to notify RIDOH when they are in a “staffing crisis,” which the department defines as when “there are no longer enough staff to provide safe patient/resident care.”

Joseph Wendelken, a spokesperson from the department of health, said hospitals should consider asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic workers first during a staffing crisis.

“Also, facility administrators should be using their clinical judgement in making staffing decisions. For example, a facility may opt for a COVID-19 positive worker to only care for COVID-19 positive patients,” said Wendelken.

The updated quarantine and isolation guidance can be found here.