B.C. care homes deal with staffing shortages as COVID-19 vaccine deadline passes – CTV
Oct. 13, 2021
VICTORIA – For those living in a long-term care home or assisted living facility in British Columbia, staffing shortages are neither new nor welcome, but they could worsen as nearly 2,000 workers in those industries are off the job because they aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19.
Dr. Bonnie Henry brought in a public health order with the requirement that staff in seniors’ care homes be immunized or, potentially, unemployed with a deadline of Oct. 12.
In a briefing, Health Minister Adrian Dix said of more than 48,000 workers, 1,996 were not vaccinated, adding many were casual employees. He also tried to reassure residents and their loved ones that care won’t be compromised.
“The province is working with health authorities and operators on a home-by-home basis to ensure that if workers do not make the decision to get vaccinated, contingency plans are in place to ensure residents continue to get the care they need,” said Dix.
