COVID-19 vaccination mandate deadline approaching for N.S.'s public sector workers
All provincial employees and those who fall under Nova Scotia’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate are required to have at least one dose of vaccine by Tuesday, Nov. 30.
Those who are partially vaccinated may be subject to other health and safety measures, including testing, while those who do not have a first dose by the deadline will face employment consequences, including unpaid leave.
At this point, it’s unclear how many employees could be placed on unpaid leave when the mandate comes into effect.
"There seems to be some concerns that we don't know for certain whether or not this is going to impact staffing, but I think that actually points to a bigger problem. Which is that we shouldn't have a system that runs so bare to the bone that minor staffing disruptions can cause this much of a threat,” said Chris Parsons with the Nova Scotia Health Coalition.
Meena MacIsaac, the CEO of Grand View Manor in Berwick, N.S., said like others in the long-term care sector, they were already under significant pressure before the pandemic and looming vaccine mandate.
"In the last three weeks, we've had 19 resignations. Some of them would of course be as a result of the vaccine mandate,” MacIsaac said.
According to MacIsaac, the gaps in staffing means employees are getting burnt out. She said the root cause of staffing shortages in long-term care needs to be addressed to turn the situation around, starting with compensation.
"Our CCA's are the core of our staffing within the province in long-term care and their salaries start at $17.50 an hour, and that's for uncertified CCA's and in Nova Scotia. A CCA that's certified tops out at three years' experience at $18.96,” said MacIsaac. “They can go and get a job in retail or in food services and make just as much."
MacIsaac said she is thankful to staff and designated caregivers for all of their support during this time.
As of Nov. 23, 95 per cent of long-term care employees were fully vaccinated and three per cent were partially vaccinated, with 95 per cent reporting.
Ninety-nine per cent of employees at the IWK Health Centre were double-dosed as of last week and one per cent were partially vaccinated, with 99 per cent reporting.
Meantime, 97 per cent of those in education were fully vaccinated and another two per cent had one shot, with 90 per cent reporting.
Paul Wozney, the president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, said it’s unclear if there will be an impact on operations if some employees are placed on unpaid leave.
"It's impossible to know how many of that one per cent of people aren't vaccinated for legitimate medical reasons and how many might be put on unpaid medical leave. It's less than 91 people in total that are not vaccinated and we know there are definitely people who aren't vaccinated because there are legitimate medical reasons,” said Wozney.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.
McDonald's customers left with 'zero value' collection of free hot drink stickers after company ends program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.