British Columbia recently announced new public health requirements regarding COVID-19 vaccinations for those working at long-term care and seniors’ assisted living facilities.  In the announcement, Dr. Bonnie Henry, British Columbia’s provincial health officer (PHO), states additional protection is being provided for those living in these settings because of rising case numbers, the prevalence of the Delta variant, and an increasing number of unvaccinated health-care workers getting COVID-19. 

In particular, the province announced that in long-term care and seniors’ assisted living facilities, a new PHO order will require:

• All staff, volunteers and personal service providers to be vaccinated by October 12, 2021;

• All staff who are unvaccinated to (a) wear personal protective equipment (PPE), and (b) be tested regularly for COVID-19, until October 12, 2021;   

• Employers to provide information collected from all staff to the PHO, to allow public health to confirm the vaccination status of staff. 

The PHO Order setting out the requirements listed above has not yet been published.