About 20,000 Quebec health workers still not fully vaccinated as deadline mandate looms

Quebec has no intention of revising its COVID-19 vaccine mandate within the well being community beginning in a single month regardless of hundreds of staff not being absolutely immunized.

Well being Minister Christian Dubé stated about 20,000 workers have nonetheless not acquired each doses of the vaccine — and threat suspension with out pay.

“Now, of the 20,000 people who find themselves unvaccinated, about half are in direct contact with sufferers,” he advised reporters Thursday in Quebec Metropolis.

The province is standing agency on its aim for these staff to get their pictures. Dubé urged those that haven’t rolled up their sleeves to take action earlier than the Oct. 15 deadline.

However he has additionally requested regional well being officers to organize a contingency plan within the occasion vaccination targets aren’t met. Some staff could possibly be assigned to administrative duties from residence, in line with Dubé.

Final week, the federal government introduced it is going to transfer ahead with the controversial well being order. The measure will apply to workers in the private and non-private sector — starting from medical professionals to housekeeping and safety workers.

The plan comes after the federal government held committee hearings in August on its proposed plan for health-care staff and because the province faces a fourth wave of the pandemic. On the time, Dubé stated 30,000 workers within the well being system weren’t absolutely vaccinated.

“So we acquired 10,000 individuals out of the 30,000 individuals who weren’t vaccinated up to now two weeks,” he stated Thursday.

When requested concerning the mandate, the province’s premier defended the choice to make immunization necessary for well being staff.

“Nicely, like I stated, for the reason that starting that we’ve to make troublesome choices,” he stated.

—with recordsdata from International Information’ Raquel Fletcher and The Canadian Press