Thousands of B.C. health-care workers off the job as vaccination deadline passes
B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix said more than 4,000 workers in the health-care system failed to get even one dose of COVID-19 vaccine before a deadline imposed by public health officials, and will be placed on unpaid leave.
The announcement came as part of a health briefing. Dix said the latest numbers available to the ministry showed of 126,343 workers, 4,090 weren't vaccinated.
Although he says the final numbers are being tallied and some of those include casual workers, thousands of workers are off the job at a time when the health-care system is under immense strain.
Dix called the vaccine mandate "a necessary step and an important one," adding, "we're also solemn today, because we know the implications for people."
The overall vaccine rate for health-care workers is 97 per cent, however, there are differences by region.
Dix says more than a thousand of those unvaccinated health-care workers are from the Interior -- that number is more than Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health combined.
The breakdown by health authority is as follows:
- Interior: 1,369
- Northern: 376
- Fraser: 644
- Providence: 122
- Vancouver Coastal: 522
- Provincial Health Services Authority: 496
- Vancouver Island: 678
The health ministry says the true number of unvaccinated workers is more than 4,090, because some employees may work in more than one health authority.
Still, the number of unvaccinated health-care workers has dropped from more than 5,500 last week.
According to a public health order, all workers have to have at least one dose by Oct. 26 to keep working.
And while the health ministry says some of the employees are casuals, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says there will be shortages, so they'll try to shift workers around to fill the gaps.
"It is so disruptive and detrimental to care when we have outbreaks in hospitals as we have a couple in the Interior right now. And that is the reason why we have this vaccine mandate in place," said Dr. Henry.
While thousands of health-care workers are being placed on unpaid leave, a deadline for long-term care and assisted living employees who didn't get immunized has come and gone.
They had until Oct. 12 to get at least one dose and as of Monday those who don't, an estimated 1,800 employees, are in the process of being terminated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.