Most workers complying with mandates

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This article was published 28/10/2021 (1434 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Provincial health officials are “encouraged” by the COVID-19 vaccination rate in the front-line public service as the vast majority of workers are complying with public health orders, new data from the province shows.

As of Tuesday, 429 people in the Manitoba public service are being regularly tested for COVID-19 as they are not fully vaccinated among the approximately 5,800 front-line workers, according to information provided on Wednesday by deputy chief public health officer Dr. Jazz Atwal.

Among approximately 42,000 Manitoba Health direct-care workers, there are 1,788 people tested regularly and 184 people on unpaid leave for refusing to be vaccinated, he said. A total of 33,541 people are confirmed to be fully vaccinated, but paperwork is still coming in.

Out of 38,643 front-line staff in Manitoba Education, 3,129 are tested regularly, Atwal said. Approximately 94 per cent of workers tested are in public schools and 143 staff are on unpaid leave for not complying with public health orders.

While the numbers show a somewhat significant number of workers are not vaccinated against COVID-19, Atwal said he is “encouraged” by how many people are fully vaccinated.

“I think they represent a real good uptick in compliance and adherence with public health … and a lot of great work done by these individuals and organizations to protect not only themselves and families but Manitobans,” he said.

In Prairie Mountain Health, there are 28 direct-care workers on unpaid leaves of absences related to compliance with public health orders, a spokesperson for Prairie Mountain Health said in an email. The staff members are spread throughout the region and in a variety of professions.

In total, the health region has 6,200 direct-care workers. Slightly more than 450 (approximately 13 per cent) of them are undergoing rapid testing.

“Paperwork continues to be manually entered into the system on the remaining disclosures. In the meantime, managers remain responsible for confirming the vaccination status of staff as they arrive at work, with those whose status is not confirmed required to undergo testing,” an email from the health region spokesperson reads.

Atwal said it opened the province’s eyes to reasons people hadn’t been vaccinated and allowed dialogue with some people to promote vaccination.

Currently, there are no significant issues with staffing shortages in Manitoba Education, he said, but regions with lower overall vaccination rates report more people going for regular testing and refusing immunization, he said.

The province didn’t have firm estimates for how many people would choose the testing option versus being vaccinated, Atwal said, but used overall vaccination rates as a “proxy.”

Brandon School Division Supt. Mathew Gustafson previously declined to say how many school division staff opted to be regularly tested for COVID-19 rather than be vaccinated, citing privacy concerns.

The province is also slightly expanding eligibility for a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Now, residents of congregate elderly persons housing can receive a third dose of the vaccine, Vaccine Implementation Task Force medical lead Dr. Joss Reimer announced Wednesday.

The provincial recommendation follows the National Advisory Committee on Immunization making the same recommendation for seniors in personal care homes and assisted living facilities.

There are approximately 500 seniors living facilities in the province, Reimer said, and the province will work with them to ensure plans are in place for people to receive their third shot.

There were 130 new cases of COVID-19 announced Wednesday, including 78 among unvaccinated people, and three more deaths.

» dmay@brandonsun.com

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