Across-the-board support for Manitoba’s new COVID-19 rules

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This article was published 24/08/2021 (1523 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitobans who work in many professions will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Those who aren’t must be tested and produce negative results as much as three times a week.

The province’s new policy, which was announced Tuesday, affects front-line workers. The Free Press spoke to affected groups about their views.

Education

As far as teachers, trustees and parents are concerned, the latest COVID-19 measures will help set up a safe return to school as a fourth wave looms.

The Manitoba Teachers’ Society and Manitoba School Boards Association both praised the province for announcing Tuesday masks will be made mandatory for all grades and frequent testing will be required for staff who cannot prove they are fully immunized.

James Bedford, who represents more than 16,000 public school teachers, called the announcements “welcome news” that alleviates stress for everyone in the school system.

Over the last week, the union president and his colleagues had been calling on the province to mandate vaccination among public school employees.

“We’ve been listened to and that’s comforting,” said Bedford. “I feel better about going into this school year than I did the last school year.”

Last year, the teachers society was unsuccessful in its efforts to lobby the province to require all students in kindergarten and up to wear face coverings at school. The province only ever mandated face coverings for students in Grade 4 and up in 2020-21.

Alan Campbell, president of the school boards association, echoed Bedford’s reaction Tuesday. Campbell added he is confident school boards can work with officials to set up testing options for unvaccinated individuals before Sept. 7.

Safe September MB also took the win, although the grassroots advocacy group indicated Tuesday it will continue to pressure the province to enhance ventilation and improve remote-learning options before students return to classrooms.

The group wants the province to make COVID-19 vaccination a requirement for all eligible students to attend in-person learning.

Meantime, Bedford said he believes the decision to immunize minors is best left in the hands of parents.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents educational assistants, custodians, and other support staff who work in schools across the province, did not provide an interview; staff is studying the announcement.

Health Care

Medical professionals are rejoicing at the province’s announcement to require direct health-care workers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

“This is a very happy day,” Dr. Anand Kumar, an ICU physician, said Tuesday. “We have some hope.”

Kumar said he “strongly approves” the steps Manitoba is taking ahead of the fourth wave.

“As it stands right now, the wave that we’re going to see (will) be substantially focused on those regions of the province that are under-vaccinated,” he said.

The new measures, including requiring masks in public indoor spaces and vaccination for sectors of front-line workers, will help keep community spread down and protect children, who are ineligible for vaccination, Kumar said. And, a fleet of fully vaccinated health-care staff means fewer workers will need to isolate because of infection.

“We have a much better chance of being able to handle the surge that is going to come our way,” Kumar said. “The only thing that you could do better is vaccinate everybody in the province who’s eligible, but this is a very good start.”

Dr. Kristjan Thompson, president of Doctors Manitoba, called the doubling down on vaccinations “the right thing to do.”

Both he and Kumar said the physicians they know are fully vaccinated.

“All health-care providers have a duty to protect their patients,” Thompson said. “The vaccine… is our best way to protect patients as we battle COVID-19. It shouldn’t be controversial — in my opinion, it’s a no-brainer.”

He said he hopes the new measures will increase public confidence.

“I don’t anticipate any physician to have an issue with getting vaccinated,” Thompson said. “There’s always going to be outliers, in any profession… but I would say that is a very, very, very small minority, if at all.”

Jan Legeros, executive director of the Long Term and Continuing Care Association of Manitoba, echoed Thompson’s views that health-care workers will appreciate the mandate.

“We’re all worried about the delta variant,” she said, adding she’s pleased the government is taking a proactive approach to combating the fourth wave. “This just makes so much sense.”

The Manitoba Nurses Union is speaking with health regions regarding the province’s mandate.

“With the delta variant on the rise across Canada, getting vaccinated is now more important than ever,” said president Darlene Jackson.

In a written statement, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba told the Free Press it supports the measures. It can’t identify unvaccinated members, but that “may change in the future,” a spokesperson said.

Child care

The province would be remiss if it hadn’t included early learning and child care workers in Tuesday’s announcement, especially considering the fact that the vast majority of their “clientele” aren’t able to get vaccinated, Manitoba Child Care Association executive director Jodie Kehl said.

“By clear definition of a vulnerable population, the entire group that early learning and child care works for is vulnerable … from the onset of COVID we’ve talked about the fact that young children just developmentally are incapable of practising some of the safety protocols that you or I might be able to do as adults,” she said.

The group had recommended all workers be vaccinated and maintain hygiene guidelines long before the announcement and most child care operators were relieved to have a blanket policy consistent with the rules in place for schools.

“When it comes as a policy from the provincial government, from a public health order, it takes that onus off the child-care employers,” she said.

In Manitoba, 44 per cent of child care facilities are on school property.

Operators are waiting for further information on how policies for regular COVID-19 testing will proceed without disrupting the workday, Kehl said.

“I do know (policy updates) will be coming out to facilities, which hopefully will include that information about how they now do that monitoring of staff that are not vaccinated,” she said.

Corrections officers

The Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union released a statement on behalf of its members, including correctional officers.

“As we enter a fourth wave of the pandemic, it’s more important than ever that Manitobans do everything possible to protect each other and our communities, and slow the spread of this virus… the MGEU encourages our members, and all Manitobans, to get vaccinated,” president Michelle Gawronsky said.

“At the same time, we welcome the alternatives offered, which provide for medical accommodations, and ongoing testing, to ensure that our workplaces, and those we serve, are protected.”

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

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