BC's Health Minister says with growing concern over the more infectious Delta variant , the province had no choice but to mandate vaccinations for long term care home workers.
The Minister says it’s important that 100 percent of people working in or coming into longer term care (people who cut hair or provide physiotherapy) as well as volunteers be vaccinated as an additional safety measure in a time when the transmission of COVID-19 among those who are unvaccinated is very high.
Dix also saying the vaccination mandate is coming to other sectors of health care in our province.
“The level of risk is highest in long-term care and assisted living because it’s congregate living, so that’s where we are starting,” explains Dix. “But there’s no question we need health care workers to be fully vaccinated across the board.”
The CEO of the BC Care Provider's Association and a former Liberal Health Care Minister, Terry Lake applauds the new order, and has been advocating for it for some time.
”I want to applaud Dr. Bonnie Henry for the flexibility that she’s shown implementing the new policy,” says Lake. “This is going to protect very vulnerable seniors in care, it’s going to protect workers, and families, I think, families are breathing a big sigh of relief”
Lake notes there are currently 11 outbreaks at long term care facilities across the province, including several in the Kelowna area.
- with files from CFAX 1070 Victoria -