The provincial government is making it mandatory for long-term care homes to have COVID-19 immunization policies for staff and to set out the minimum requirements that need to be included in these policies.
“Widespread vaccination within long-term care homes is the best way to protect residents, staff and their families,” said Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care, in a media release today.
Under the immunization policies to be put in place at all long-term care homes in the province, each staff member must do one of the following:
- Provide proof of vaccination of each dose;
- Provide a documented medical reason for not being vaccinated; or
- Participate in an educational program about the benefits of vaccination and the risks of not being vaccinated.
Homes will be required to track and report on the implementation of their policies, including overall staff immunization rates. The immunization status of individual staff members will not be shared with the province.
Long-term care homes must have their COVID-19 staff immunization policies fully implemented by July 1, 2021.
As of May 30, 2021, the province estimates that 97 per cent of long-term care residents in Ontario are fully immunized and more than 89 per cent of staff have received at least their first dose, with approximately 66 per cent fully immunized.
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Finally. Doesn’t go far enough, but a step in the right direction IMO. People working at these places should know the potential risks to those in their care should they decide not to get immunized (note the conscientious exemption for those who can’t). This doesn’t eliminate the risk to residents, and I would hope that all who choose to work where those who entrust their lives to them would put those lives ahead of all else. But it does put some additional onus on those people…
That is communism at it’s best. Goes against Civil right of anyone in Canada.