Skip to content

Long-term care home staff must be double vaxxed by Nov. 15

Homes will also start randomly testing fully vaccinated people going into homes to help detect breakthrough cases
covid_school_2000x1333

Ontario is mandating COVID-19 vaccines for long-term care staff.

The policy announced today is effective Nov. 15. It affects all in-home staff, support workers, students and volunteers unless they have a valid medical exemption. 

The province also announced it is expanding inspections of homes and redirecting provincial resources to enhance audit testing in homes. 

As of Aug. 31, there were about 44 per cent of long-term care homes with staff vaccination rates below 90 per cent.

With the delta-driven fourth wave of the pandemic, the province said those vaccination rates aren't high enough.

“We know that long-term care residents have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. As new variants continue to spread, we are seeing a growing number of outbreaks in long-term care homes where the risk to those most vulnerable remains high,” said Rod Phillips, Minister of Long-Term Care, in a news release.

“This enhanced suite of measures, including mandatory vaccinations for those working in the homes of long-term care residents, is one more way we will provide them the greatest level of protection possible.”

The new requirements for homes are:

  • Staff, support workers, students and volunteers must show proof of being fully vaccinated or show proof of a valid medical exemption. A person is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving their second dose.
  • Staff who aren't fully vaccinated or have a medical exemption won't be able to enter a long-term care home to work.
  • Newly hires must be fully vaccinated before starting work
  • Homes will randomly test fully vaccinated people, including staff, caregivers and visitors, for possible breakthrough cases 

While making the announcement, Phillips noted that the province doesn't directly employ long-term care staff. Facilities are typically run by a municipality or not-for-profit.

It will be up to the operators to decide what happens to staff who aren't vaccinated. Phillips said the province's role is making it clear that unvaccinated staff will not be able to work in a facility. 

“We fully recognize that this is going to be a difficult decision for some of those people, but the priority has to be protecting the safety of the residents and protecting the safety of the other staff,” he said.

Half of the operators in long-term care, Phillips said, have already put in vaccine policies.

With today's announcement, homes will also continue testing people who are not fully vaccinated.

"The ministry will leverage provincial testing resources to inspect and audit these results by sending testing teams into homes to validate the results that homes have been reporting to the province. The ministry will also step up rigorous inspections of homes’ infection, prevention and control measures," reads the release.

Long-term care residents are also eligible for the third dose of the vaccine. As of Sept. 30, the province says 64 per cent of residents have received the booster.


Comments

Verified reader

If you would like to apply to become a verified commenter, please fill out this form.




Maija Hoggett

About the Author: Maija Hoggett

Maija Hoggett is an experienced journalist who covers Timmins and area
Read more