Some for-profit long-term care homes in Saskatchewan will soon require COVID-19 vaccinations for staff.
A coalition of care home and retirement home operators announced the mandate will begin Oct. 12.
It affects nine Revera facilities in Saskatchewan, along with nine Extendicare operations in the province.
That includes the Regina Extendicare home linked to roughly 40 deaths, a home now under co-management through the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
“As rates of infection once again increase in communities across the country, unvaccinated staff are more likely to bring the virus to work,” reads a press release from the organizations.
“This policy will increase their level of safety and improve quality of life for residents by reducing the need for isolation and disruption of daily activities … it also protects ongoing access to visits from family members, which are critical to the well-being of all those in our care.”
Staff who are not fully vaccinated by Oct. 12 will be placed on unpaid leave.