Human Resources Legislative Update
Ontario Announces Mandatory Vaccination Requirements for Long-Term Care Homes
Date: October 4, 2021
On October 1, 2021, the Ontario government announced that COVID-19 vaccinations will become mandatory for all in-home staff, support workers, students, and volunteers in long-term care homes, unless a valid medical exemption is presented. These individuals will have until November 15, 2021 to show proof that they have received all required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, or to show proof of a valid medical exemption.
In addition to mandatory vaccination, the following requirements will also apply:
- staff who do not have all required doses or a valid medical exemption by the deadline will not be able to enter a long-term care home to work
- newly hired staff must be fully vaccinated before they begin working in a home unless they have a valid medical exemption
- homes will begin randomly testing fully vaccinated individuals, including staff, caregivers and visitors, to help detect possible breakthrough cases of COVID-19 as early as possible.
The following measures already in place at long-term care homes will continue:
- individuals who are not fully vaccinated will be regularly tested
- staff who are fully vaccinated will be able to work in more than one long-term care home, retirement home or other health service provider setting
- the requirement to track and report on the implementation of their policies, which includes overall staff immunization rates.
The article in this client update provides general information and should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. This publication is copyrighted by Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP and may not be photocopied or reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the express permission of Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP. ©
