The Globe and Mail | MIKE HAGER | VANCOUVER | April 23, 2020
British Columbia’s workplace safety watchdog has received claims from 237 people alleging they contracted COVID-19 on the job, with more than half coming from the health care sector.
Of these claims, 43 have been verified, and another 163 are pending, according to data from WorkSafeBC that cover cases up to April 15. The next largest group of claims – 30 – comes from the service sector, which includes restaurants and accommodation.
WorkSafeBC, which makes payments to sick and injured workers with funds drawn from industry, says it is not surprised that 123 people working in health care settings such as hospitals and long-term-care homes have filed claims, representing the largest chunk of cases. These workers are accustomed to being affected by infectious diseases and are experienced in when to file for such compensation.