As vaccine mandates roll out for workers across industries in B.C., key sectors on the Sunshine Coast are implementing or discussing what will be required of their staff.
Care Workers
While all health-care workers in B.C. must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 26, the deadline for workers in long-term care homes and assisted living facilities to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine passed on Oct. 12.
As the deadline came into effect, 1,955 unvaccinated workers in care homes across the province (about five per cent of the 48,879 employees) were pushed onto unpaid leave.
There are three long-term care homes and assisted living facilities on the Sunshine Coast. According to Ministry of Health data, 94 per cent of staff at these sites have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 91 per cent are fully immunized.
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) does not publicly comment on confidential human resource matters, so did not disclose how many Coast staff have been placed on unpaid leave due to their vaccination status.
“Despite increasing vaccination levels amongst staff in long-term care, the vaccination rates vary throughout the province and by facility,” Jeremy Deutsch, a public affairs specialist for VCH, said when asked how patient care could be affected.
“VCH is actively engaged with long-term care and assisted living operators across the region to assess the impact of mandatory vaccination on staffing levels. Existing contingency plans are ensuring residents receive the care they need. Contingency plans for periods of low staffing include a number of options including offering staff additional shifts (including overtime) and re-deploying staff from other areas,” he said.
As of Oct. 12, visitors to long-term care facilities have had to show proof they received at least one dose of the vaccine. By Oct. 26, visitors must show proof of full vaccination status.
Schools
On Oct. 5, the provincial government declared that vaccines are mandated for its 30,000 public servants for full coverage by Nov. 22, but the order did not include school staff. Instead, that decision has been left up to the 60 individual school boards as the employers.
The BC School Trustees Association (BCSTA) and BC Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) are working on a framework to guide all of the province’s school boards in making a decision, Amanda Amaral, the board chair for the Sunshine Coast’s School District No. 46 (SD46), said at the Oct. 13 board meeting.
“Boards have been asked to wait before making the decision to receive and review that framework,” Amaral said.
The board will be “considering this very complex question with care and attention,” she said, and will discuss the decision with its unions, staff and public health.
“We remain committed to having a safe school and education environment for our staff and students, and to keeping the public updated on this matter,” Amaral said.
When asked during the public question period whether the board is considering mandatory vaccinations for school attendance, Amaral said they are not mandating nor considering mandating vaccinations for students.
“Additionally, this is not a decision that a school district would typically be making,” Amaral said.
Trustee Pammila Ruth said, “I find it quite odd that the government was wanting to mandate the K to 12 wearing masks but they left the vaccinating of staff to the individual districts, and I don’t think that was very fair for 60 different districts to have to deal with this on their own.”
VCH will be conducting its regular vaccine and catch-up clinics in the schools for students in grades 6, 7, 9 and 10. The COVID-19 vaccine will be offered to those who are eligible.
“To make sure this is really clear, as per our regulation in School District 46, all elementary students K to 7 inclusive must have parental consent for all vaccines,” superintendent Kate Kerr said at the board meeting.
VCH will also offer second dose clinics in Sunshine Coast secondary schools, and families will be provided with communication about those dates, she added.
The board will continue to maintain public health orders, and will provide feedback to the Ministry of Education about how such orders impact students, their families and decisions about their education, Amaral said.
BC Ferries
As of Oct. 18, BC Ferries is developing a vaccination policy for staff, which the company expects to finalize in the coming weeks, spokesperson Deborah Marshall told Coast Reporter.
BC Ferries is still seeking clarification from Transport Canada, following the federal government’s Oct. 6 announcement, about how the full extent of the requirements for marine operators with 12 or more crew members will be applied to its employees.
“We support the Federal and Provincial and Health Officers’ position that vaccination is the most effective tool to reduce the risk of COVID-19 – for our customers, our colleagues and our families – and to protect broader public health and reduce the spread of the virus,” Marshall said via email. “BC Ferries is meeting with its Union and other stakeholders to look for solutions that respect the various perspectives on this sensitive topic.”
As of Oct. 8, about 80 per cent of BC Ferries’ employees had been vaccinated, Marshall said.
BC Ferries has also updated its mask requirements following the public health order of Oct. 12 that people five years and older must wear masks in public indoor areas. Masks must be worn in indoor areas at terminals and on board.
– with files from Carla Wilson/Times Colonist
