Seniors advocate wants vaccination policy for long-term care home workers

A staff member at Northwood’s Halifax Campus recently tested positive for the virus

HALIFAXtoday\ Meghan Groff

A seniors advocate believes COVID-19 vaccines should be required for those working in long-term care homes.

The call comes after a staff member at Northwood’s Halifax Campus recently tested positive for the virus.

Northwood says the case was identified through routine screening, and as of Monday, contract tracing had not turned up any additional cases.

During the first wave of COVID-19, 53 people died from COVID at the facility.

“It just breaks my heart to hear this is going on at Northwood, where we had somebody come in that was infected and they’re not mandating their vaccines,” said Gary MacLeod with the ACE Team (Advocates for the Care of the Elderly).

“You expect people to be protected, in a safe environment, and it’s not happening, even after 53 deaths. What’s it going to take?”

Due to privacy reasons, CEO Janet Simm couldn’t say if the staff member who tested positive had been vaccinated, but according to Northwood, 88 per cent of its staff at Halifax campus have had the shot.

MacLeod thinks that percentage should be higher.

“If they don’t believe in the science and they’re in the health care field, then they shouldn’t be there,” he told NEWS 95.7’s The Todd Veinotte Show.

“I understand there are people that are vaccine-hesitant and there are people who can’t have a vaccine for health reasons, I’m not saying those people have to be vaccinated, but if they’re going to have a hands-on occupation in long-term care, they need to be vaccinated or work in another part of the facility where they’re not going to have contact with residents.”