There is a vaccination policy for hospitals in North Wellington Healthcare.
The announcement was released Wednesday.
They pair is part of a larger group that will require all staff, physicians, students, volunteers and contractors working at and with local hospitals to be fully vaccinated by October 12.
That includes Louise Marshall Hospital in Mount Forest and the Palmerston and District Hospital. The policy also covers hospitals in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Fergus and Guelph.
“Protecting the health and safety of our patients and staff has always been our priority,” says Lee Fairclough, president, St. Mary’s General Hospital and hospital lead for COVID response. “Vaccines are an important tool in the COVID fight and in our response to the highly transmissible Delta variant—something that we have witnessed the impact of firsthand. We are pleased that vaccination rates are high within our hospitals and community and are very grateful to everyone who has chosen to become fully vaccinated. It is our responsibility to implement every safety measure possible to protect our patients and teams.”
The province's MOH mandated that high risk settings, such as hospitals, must have COVID-19 vaccination policies in place by September 7.
According to a release, staff that do not meet the deadline will be put on a leave without pay and have until early-November to meet the policy.
