Blood donations are returning to Milton on Monday, July 20th.
Canadian Blood Services will be at the Milton Bible Church on Chisholm Drive from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m..
With their return, donors will have to adjust to how the experience has changed.
Our local Territory Manager for Canadian Blood Services, Kersten Dupuis, goes over some of what’s new.
Dupuis adds that a temperature check will also be taken. Masks are mandatory for all blood donors.
She says that if you don’t have a mask, a reusable one will be given to you at the door for free.
Inside the facility, an enhanced cleaning procedure will take place before and after each donation. Everything will be done with physical distancing in mind, and additional plexiglass screens will be put up throughout the building to help ensure safety.
Post-donation refreshments will also be given in a ‘grab-and-go’ situation where donors will be allowed to sit and make sure they’re okay, before leaving the facility with their refreshments in-hand. Dupuis says that’s being done to make sure no masks need to be removed in the building.
Canadian Blood Services is taking part in a national health program.
Dupuis talks about the convalescent plasma program.
The need for blood donations remains high. One reason is that elective surgeries have started up again. Another reason, Dupuis says, is that as the province and country continue to open back up, we will start to see a return to normal life; unfortunately, that return means an increased risk of traffic accidents – leading to a higher need for blood donations. She says that because blood has a shelf life, Canadian Blood Services asks residents to continue giving whenever they can.
Monday’s Blood Donation Event is entirely booked up. You can still book time for an August 24th event. You can do so through here.
