KITCHENER -- Long-term care workers in Waterloo Region and all of Ontario now need to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination in order to go to work.
Staff who don't provide proof of at least one dose as of Monday won't be allowed to enter homes for work, unless they have a valid medical exemption.
Jim Stewart, the chair of the Waterloo Region Health Coalition, said they're in favour of the policy.
"These mandates work," Stewart said. "They're steadily improving the vaccine uptake and made our residents in long-term care safer."
Some homes in Waterloo Region are below the provincial average of 98 per cent.
Sunnyside Home in Kitchener, which is owned and operated by the Region of Waterloo, has 91 per cent of staff with at least one dose.
A statement from the region said officials continue to work with employees at Sunnyside and encourage employees to receive their first dose before the deadline.
Officials with Forest Heights Revera in Kitchener, which was hit hard during the first and second wave of the pandemic, said only a small number of staff haven't gotten vaccinated and are currently on unpaid leave.
The Ministry of Long-Term Care announced the mandate last month, saying more needed to be done to protect vulnerable residents from COVID-19.
Specific actions for unvaccinated staff will be left up to employers, the province said.
"We already have a huge staffing issue, so that seems like an unwise policy for them if they were to fire anybody," Stewart said. "But, they're not doing that. Our understanding is that it's absence without pay."
A statement from a provincial spokesperson said they recognize the vaccine mandate may have an impact on staffing levels at individual homes.
"To help homes address pandemic-related staffing challenges, the government is providing homes with Prevention and Containment funding and has allowed homes operational flexibility on staffing requirements. We will be monitoring the situation in long-term care homes carefully while continuing to work with homes and our health sector partners to support staffing needs," the statement from the province said in part.
Staff have until Dec. 13 to be fully vaccinated.
