High vaccine compliance at Sault Area Hospital and municipality
COVID-19 vaccination policies at the City of Sault Ste. Marie and Sault Area Hospital appear to be working, with both organizations seeing high compliance among staff.
Hospital and city officials said only a very small number of employees have refused to comply with vaccine mandates.
Sault Ste. Marie's CAO Malcolm White said around 88 per cent of city employees are fully vaccinated, while five per cent have received one vaccine dose.
He said those refusing to comply with the policy have been sent home without pay.
"We had seven staff who didn't comply with the policy, who did not either disclose their status or indicated to us that they would not agree to the testing provisions of the policy," said White. "Those seven will be placed on unpaid leave at this time."
White said he hopes those who have been placed on unpaid leave will change their minds about vaccination.
"I don't believe we have received any specific medical exemptions at this time, although there may be some that I'm not aware of," he said.
"Essentially, our goal is to have a fully vaccinated workplace to meet our obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act."
Meantime, officials at Sault Area Hospital say 98 per cent of professional staff and all on-site volunteers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Those not fully vaccinated will be educated on the importance of getting their shots. Hospital officials said fewer than five employees have been placed on unpaid leave for non-compliance with the vaccine policy and that no grievances have been filed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.