In the context of the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis, the fishing industry must adapt its practices and operations to ensure workers’ protection and allow business continuity. A Business Continuity Plan must therefore be implemented by each company according to their type of activity, size, organization and environment.
This reality raises many uncertainties, questions and challenges regarding the implementation of the necessary measures and the rights and obligations of everyone in this context.
We understand that the challenges in human resources, manpower, infrastructure and work organization are enormous.
Consequently, the Government of New Brunswick, through the Working NB branch of the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, has set up the Provincial Adjustment Committee to support the priority fisheries sector during this COVID-19 crisis.
The mandate is to support the fishing industry by offering assistance in implementing the necessary adaptations associated with COVID-19,specifically by providing recommendations, best practices and tools allowing the continuity of your activities, the implementation of prevention measures and the understanding of everyone's (employers and employees) rights and obligations in this context.
We would like to offer assistance and provide relevant information to the fishing industry.
You can count on our support in this exceptional situation. Do not hesitate to reach out. We are committed to helping the community find the information and assistance they need.
Katherine Morissette
Chair of the COVID-19 Adjustment Implementation Sub-Committee in the Fisheries Sector
Our Partner
FAQ | HEALTH COMPONENT
1. Who is at risk?
Anyone aged 65 and over, or presenting the following conditions:
- Heart disease
- Hypertension
- Chronic respiratory disorder
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Weakened immune system as a result of a health issue or treatment (ex: chemotherapy)
2. People taking immunosuppressing drugs are at risk. Which drugs are these?
· Steroids: prednisone (Deltasone), methylprednisolone, hydrocortisone (Hydrocort, Cortate)
· Immunomodulators: azathioprine (Imuran), 6-mercaptopurine (Purinethol), methotrexate
· Anti-TNF biological products: infliximab (Remicade®, Inflectra®, RenflexisTM), adalimumab (Humira®), golimumab (Simponi)
Organics Products anti-IL-12/23: ustekinumab (Stelara)
· Biological leukocyte migration products: vedolizumab (Entyvio)
· The small JAK inhibitor molecules: tofacitinib (Xeljanz®)
· Inhibitors: Neoral, Sandimum, Prograf, Imurel, Cell-Cept, Rapamune
· Thymoglobulins, Lymphoglobulins, Simulect, Murine, OKT3, Zénapax
3. Who is considered to be immunosuppressed?
A. Person presenting:
1. Congenital immune deficiency
2. Malignant hematological disorders
3. Non-hematologic solid malignant tumors
4. Aplastic anemia
5. An anatomical or functional asplenia
B. A person who has received:
1. In the last three months or less having received radiation therapy, chemotherapy or checkpoint inhibitor therapy
2. A solid organ, CAR-T cell and hematopoietic stem cell transplants that are being treated with active immunosuppression drugs or that are suffering from graft rejection;
C. A Person who has received potent immunosuppressive therapy in the last three months with any of the following drug categories:
- High dose corticosteroids
- Alkylating agents
- Antimetabolites in high doses
- Graft-related immunosuppressive drugs
- Tumor necrosis factor blockers
- Other biological agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory
4. I am taking cortisone (corticotherapy). Am I immunocompromised and therefore a person at risk?
1. Corticosteroid therapy is not immunosuppressive if any of the following conditions apply:
- Short-term oral corticotherapy (less than 2 weeks)
- Daily corticotherapy or taken every two days in low or moderate doses (less than 2 mg/kg/day of prednisone or a maximum of 20mg/day)
- Corticotherapy at physiological doses for a person showing no underlying ummunodeficiency, as replacement or maintenance therapy.
- Topical corticotherapy (nasal, bronchial, ocular or cutaneous)
- Intra-articular injections or around tendons
- If more than 1 month has passed since taking high dosage steroids (more than 20 mg/day of prednisone or the equivalent during more than 2 weeks). After a short term treatment (less than 2 weeks) of more than 20mg/day or for two days of prednisone or equivalent.
2. Persons infected with HIV showing no severe immunosuppression.
3. Persons with a cancer history who have undergone their last chemotherapy treatment more than 3 months prior and are in remission. Persons who have received immunotherapy with agents such as control point inhibitors should wait more than three months.
4. Receivers of hematopoietic stem-cell transplantations, or CAR-T cell receivers than have undergone the treatment more than 2 years prior, that are not taking immunosuppressive drugs, that show no signs of undergoing malignancy or rejection of transplant.
5. Persons affected by an auto-immune disease (for example disseminated lupus erythematosus, inflammatory intestinal disease, or rheumatoid polyarthritis) that are not being treated with immunosuppressive or immunomodulating drugs, even though data is lacking in this field.
Persons receiving methotrexate (MTX) at less than or equal to 0,4mg/kg/week, azathioprine at less than or equal to 3mg/kg/day, or 6-mercaptopurine at less than or equal to 1,5mg/kg/day (Rubin et Al. 2014)