Howard said improvement is definitely needed. For years, Eastern Health's overall hand hygiene compliance percentage has hovered in the high 40s to low 50s. Too low when the stakes are so high.

"It can cause a lot of problems," said Dr. Wayne Gulliver, a dermatologist in St. John's. "You know, going from washing your hands, the usual three, four, five times a day to 10, 20, 30 times a ...

With public concern mounting about the spread of coronavirus, health officials say hand washing is still one of the best ways to keep viruses at bay. Some of the same common steps taken to guard ...