Nova Scotia gives public-sector workers eight more weeks to get COVID-19 vaccine
Nova Scotia is hoping that a little more time is all public sector employees need to adhere to public health's vaccine mandate.
"This mandate was in no way intended to penalize people so if there are folks who previously hadn't considered vaccination who have gotten the knowledge that they needed in order to do that," says Nova Scotia Health Minister Michelle Thompson.
The original deadline was Nov. 30.
Now, workers who have their first shot by Nov. 15 will have an extra two months to roll up their sleeves and get their second.
Nova Scotia's NDP leader supports the extension.
"There are many, many considerations involved in this whole vaccine related question but when you take all things together this seems to be a prudent course of action," says Gary Burrill.
Those who don't meet the deadline will be placed on unpaid leave.
Many of them are represented by the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union.
"What we tend to do is take the issues on a case by case basis and see what the reasons are, the mitigating factors, and really try to piece together a case for our members if they do indeed do have a case," says union president Jason MacLean.
The extension applies to more than 80,000 employees in schools, corrections, child-care centres and hospitals.
Zach Churchill, the Liberal party's health critic, has some concerns over how the mandate will affect staffing levels.
"It's really important for the public to know if this policy he's going to exacerbate the labour shortage in our healthcare systems and if that's going to impact service delivery for surgeries, for our emergency departments, for our long-term care sector," he said.
Thompson says her department is working on a contingency plan to deal with the loss of unvaccinated workers.
The government hasn't released data on how many public sector workers risk being placed on leave for not getting vaccinated.
With files from The Canadian Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
These snakes not only fake their own deaths, they use gory special effects to do it
Awards season may be over for human actors this year, but there’s no rest for some of nature’s most audacious thespians.