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
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.