As Canada is in the midst of a fourth wave, many hospitals in the country are planning more restrictions to decrease the risk of an outbreak. Almost every hospital in Canada already implemented a mandatory vaccine policy for employees and staff. Now there are a growing number of facilities that are enforcing the same policy towards visitors wishing to enter the premises.
Elizabeth Bardon, a COVID incident commander at Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Ontario said “I think of all places that we need to show proof of vaccinations, this is one of them,” She further explained that “People who come to the hospital are not coming by choice, they are very ill right now, our patients are sicker than they’ve ever been… we have a special duty of care to make sure that they don’t get infected while they’re here.”
The facility Bardon works from will implement the vaccination policy towards visitors on October 22. Other hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area, including the University Health Network and specific hospitals in Quebec will mandate the new rules. Epidemiologists say the policy is right for hospitals because their main priority is to keep patients safe. But using a compassionate point of view makes the decision tricky.
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