TransLink tests antimicrobial copper coatings on high-contact surfaces – BC News

Photo: Glacier Media

Metro Vancouver transportation network officials say TransLink will be the first system in North America to test the use of antimicrobial copper on high-contact surfaces to better understand and reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and other diseases.

TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond says the four-week pilot project is part of a study examining the effectiveness of several copper-based products and a protective coating that need to be installed on two SkyTrains and two buses in Vancouver.

Dr. Marthe Charles, a medical microbiologist at Vancouver Coastal Health, says copper is toxic to microorganisms and that coatings on high-contact surfaces will be tested twice a week to determine how well they work.

Teck Resources Ltd. is paying for the initial pilot project, which mining company president Don Lindsay says costs about $ 90,000.

Desmond says TransLink’s passenger numbers are about 42 percent of pre-pandemic levels and that it’s roughly where it has stabilized since August.

The pilot project also involves the local health authority, Vancouver General Hospital, the University of British Columbia, the UBC Hospital Foundation and the Coalition for Healthcare Acquired Infection Reduction.

Also on Tuesday, WorkSafeBC said it is stepping up workplace inspections in BC’s two health regions where recent restrictions have been imposed due to rising COVID-19 cases.

The agency urges employers in the coastal regions of Vancouver and Fraser Health to review and update their COVID-19 safety plans as needed.

It says workplaces that carry the highest transmission risk are prioritized for inspections, including sites where it is difficult to maintain a safe distance and where workers interact with large numbers of people or come into contact with surfaces and shared tools.

The BC provincial health officer issued the order on Saturday requiring those in the two health regions to restrict social interactions for two weeks, though Dr. Bonnie Henry said her order could be extended beyond 23 November or modified as appropriate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on November 10, 2020.

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