Over 95 percent of healthcare and long-term care staff in Parry Sound are fully vaccinated.
That’s according to Jim Hanna, Communications Officer at the West Parry Sound Health Centre (WPSHC), who says the centre’s COVID-19 vaccination policy, in effect since September 7th, meets all of the province’s expectations.
He says the vaccination rate for the WPSHC, including EMS, students, and volunteers, is 96 percent as of last week.
As for long-term care, Hanna said the October 1st decision by the province to adopt a mandatory vaccination policy was sort of a curveball, saying it creates the potential for divergence between acute and long-term care.
However, he said the centre is actively reviewing its long-term care policy, which currently requires non-vaccinated staff to complete an educational program and be tested twice a week.
According to the Ministry of Long Term Care’s website, the staff vaccination rate at Lakeland LTC Services is 96 percent as of August 31st.
Hanna said WPSHC is actively working with all of its operational and system partners to provide, if appropriate, a unified policy that recognizes the proven science, protects patients, residents, essential visitors, staff and physicians all while meeting legislative requirements.
With the staff total across both Lakeland LTC and WPSHC at 1,130 members, around 47 are not currently vaccinated and as such are being tested.
Hanna said the centre strongly believes and supports the science endorsing vaccines as the most important tool in protecting ourselves, each other, hospitals and long-term care homes.