B.C.'s vaccine mandate for long-term care staff and visitors now in effect
Nearly 2,000 workers in long-term and assisted care facilities in B.C. still haven't gotten a single COVID-19 vaccine dose, the province's health minister says.
Adrian Dix gave the update on the same day B.C.’s vaccine mandate for long-term care and assisted living workers came into effect.
As of Tuesday, all employees of long-term care and assisted living facilities need to have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Those who choose not to comply will "be subject to progressive discipline up to and including termination," Dix said during an afternoon news conference.
Dix reported that of the 48,879 staff members who have recorded their vaccine status with their employers, 46,924 – or 96 per cent – have had their first shot.
Meanwhile, 93 per cent are fully vaccinated.
"We know these are settings where transmission causes strain on the system if health-care workers are infected, but also can mean transmission to those who are most vulnerable to severe illness," provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday.
"Few know better than those working in long-term care and assisted living what the impact of COVID-19 has been on our seniors and elders, particularly those who live in long-term care."
Advocates have been calling for the policy for months now, as the Delta variant runs rampant in the province and outbreaks in long-term care continue.
The B.C. Care Providers Association supports the policy, however a significant number of workers are still refusing to get vaccinated.
Workers who have only received one dose will have to undergo rapid testing daily, and must receive their second shot within 35 days of their first.
The province initially said all workers must be fully immunized by Oct. 12, but relaxed the mandate after operators pushed back.
Facilities already struggling with staffing shortages say losing any workers will be a huge blow.
Staff aren’t the only ones being impacted by this new mandate.
Visitors will now also need at least one dose, and must be fully immunized by Nov. 30. Experts are hopeful both mandates could be key for preventing more deaths.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Ben Nesbit
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Time limits were meant to speed up justice. They also halt hundreds of criminal cases
Supporters say the so-called Jordan ruling has sped up proceedings and strengthened Charter rights for prompt justice. But the legacy of Jordan is mixed, and some victims say the time limits work in criminals' favour.
Three charged in One Direction singer Liam Payne's death
Three people have been charged in relation to One Direction singer Liam Payne's death in a fall from his Buenos Aires hotel balcony last month, Argentine authorities said on Thursday.
RCMP already 'on high alert' for potential wave of migrants after Trump election
Canada's federal police force has been preparing for months on a contingency plan for a potential massive influx of migrants across the border following Trump's promise of 'mass deportations' of millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
Oven to be removed from Halifax store where employee died: Walmart
Walmart says a large bakery oven will be removed from the Halifax store where an employee died last month.
Prince William describes family's 'brutal' year as wife and father faced cancer treatment
Prince William has described the past year as "brutal" following cancer diagnoses for his wife and father. "Honestly, it's been dreadful," he said.
Sparks fly as MPs question minister on pension implications of proposed election date change
Sparks flew at a parliamentary committee Thursday as MPs questioned Canada's democratic institutions minister about a widely opposed provision in electoral reform legislation that seeks to delay the next fixed election date by one week.
How many criminal cases in each province or territory were halted by time limits?
A review of information provided by provinces and territories shows more than 400 criminal cases have been halted across Canada since the start of last year.
NEW Advocacy group fights to save Alberta's wild horses from population control plan 10 years after cull
An Alberta advocacy group is pushing to save the province's wild horse population, 10 years after the government ordered a cull and amid a new plan to manage the animal's numbers.
'There is no electricity': Canadian travellers in Cuba urge caution in hurricane's wake
Cuba's power grid was knocked out by Hurricane Rafael, which ripped across the country as a Category 3 storm. In western Cuba, it toppled buildings and pushed 50,000 people to find shelter elsewhere. Cubans were already enduring rolling blackouts due to energy shortages.