Manitoba Says 30 Health-Care Workers Sent Home For Refusing Testing Under Vaccine Mandate

Manitoba’s health agency says there were no significant issues or service disruptions with the implementation of new COVID-19 vaccine requirements Monday.

Shared Health says 30 direct-care workers across the province refused rapid testing and were subsequently sent home as of Monday afternoon.

1:37Manitoba vaccine requirements likely to be in place until spring: top doctor

Manitoba vaccine requirements likely to be in place until spring: top doctor Many front-line workers in health care, education and child care must be vaccinated or undergo testing up to three times per week under the new workplace orders.

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Shared Health estimates the rules impact about 42,00 workers and, as of Friday, 1,800 were identified as requiring testing.

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.

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