Ontario long-term care staff must have first vaccine to attend work today
Posted November 15, 2021 5:18 am.
Last Updated November 18, 2021 11:55 am.
Ontario long-term care staff must have received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose to go to work today.
Staff who don’t present proof of a first dose must instead show a medical exemption to be able to enter a long-term care home for work.
Today had been set as the deadline for workers to be fully vaccinated against the virus but the Ministry of Long-Term Care has pushed that date to December 13. Vanessa De Matteis said the extension was offered to accommodate a change in the recommended interval between doses from the federal immunization committee.
It says the change was made to accommodate new guidance on vaccine dose intervals from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI).
Government data from Friday morning showed 98 per cent of long-term care workers had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips announced the sector-wide mandate last month, saying more action was needed to protect vulnerable residents from COVID-19, along with other measures including random testing of vaccinated staff and visitors to help detect possible breakthrough cases more quickly.
Associate Deputy Long-Term Care Minister Erin Hannah informed licensees of the change in vaccination deadlines in a Nov. 4 memo.
Long-term care homes were hit hard during the first and second waves of COVID-19, but have managed to avoid major outbreaks during the third and fourth waves of the virus due to high vaccination rates among residents.
