Health care workers and school staff among employees who will need to be vaccinated

Those without a medical exception who are not fully vaccinated by November 30 will be placed on unpaid administrative leave

HALIFAXtoday\ Meghan Groff

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Tens of thousands of workers in Nova Scotia will need to be fully vaccinated.

The new mandate will apply to over 80,000 people in the healthcare and education sectors.

It will apply to:

• Nova Scotia Health Authority and IWK Health Centre
• workers in long-term care facilities (licensed and unlicensed) and home-care agencies (publicly and privately funded)
• public school teachers, pre-primary and other school-based staff, regional and board office staff, and those providing services in schools, including cafeteria and school bus services
• Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia
• workers in residential facilities and day programs funded by the Department of Community Services Disability Support Program and adult day programs funded by Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care
• workers in Department of Community Services facilities and those providing placements for children and youth in the care of the Minister of Community Services (excluding foster family placements)
• paramedics, LifeFlight nurses and some other staff at EHS
• physicians and other service providers to the above organizations; for example hairdressers and contractors

At a Wednesday briefing, Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson said these employees are working with the province’s most vulnerable citizens, including the elderly, sick and children who aren’t yet eligible to get the shot.

“This is not a decision that government has made lightly. This is not a step we wanted to take,” she stated. “But some of the new cases have demonstrated to us that those who are unvaccinated are placing others at unnecessary risk, especially our vulnerable Nova Scotians.”

“We must take this step for the safety of all Nova Scotians.”

Those who don’t already have both doses will need to participate in a mandatory education program.

Anyone without a medical exception who is not fully vaccinated by November 30 will be placed on unpaid administrative leave.

Any new staff members will also need to be fully vaccinated as a hiring condition.