North Bay hospital fires about 10 employees for not complying with COVID-19 vaccination policy
The North Bay Regional Health Centre has terminated less than 10 employees for failing to comply with the hospital’s COVID-19 vaccination policy.
In the past, the hospital has said it is committed to achieving a 100 per cent compliance from healthcare workers and other staff members.
“I’m very distressed and I feel bad for the employees that we had to terminate them for the choice that they made,” said hospital CEO Paul Heinrich.
The hospital said staff are required to comply with one of three requirements in relation to the COVID-19 vaccination:
1. Be vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination.
2. Where all Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccines are medically contraindicated, staff must provide written proof of the medical contraindication from their regular qualified medical practitioner.
3. Where a staff elects not to be vaccinated, or they are unsure of whether they want to be vaccinated, they are required to complete a COVID-19 education program.
Staff that are in category 2 or 3 are required to obtain a COVID-19 antigen test every seven days.
“Just to be clear, 40 per cent of hospitals in the province have a stricter policy than us and it’s basically that you’re either vaccinated or don’t work at the hospital,” said Heinrich.
Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli weighed in on the news during a Friday morning media conference.
“We continue to follow the advice of the chief medical officer of health and we say to people we want to get out of this: get vaccinated,” Fedeli said.
Heinrich said the hospital’s vaccination policy could change at any time, but would not say if the terminated employees will ever be welcomed back. He hopes the move will convince the other 30 non-compliant employees to comply.
“When you make bad choices, you have to live with the consequences,” said Heinrich.
Heinrich said the fired employees sent letters to the hospital that spoke about suing the hospital over their termination. But he said there is no "credible action" that can be taken because the hospital was following mandates from Public Health Ontario.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.