WELLINGTON COUNTY – Seven hospital staff in the county remain on unpaid leave for not being vaccinated against COVID-19, down from 14 since mid-October.
The Wellington Health Care Alliance (WHCA), which includes Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Fergus, Louise Marshall Hospital in Mount Forest, and Palmerston and District Hospital, joined with other hospitals in the region in September to implement a mandatory vaccination policy for all staff.
On Oct. 13, 14 workers were put on unpaid leave for not meeting the requirement.
In an email on Nov. 10, manager of communications Alison Armstrong said seven of the 14 had decided to get the vaccine and are no longer on unpaid leave.
“To-date, no staff have been let go due to our vaccination policy,” she stated.
“There is a risk over this week that employment status will change as we work through the policy.”
Armstrong said hospital services have not been impacted and she did not indicate at which hospital(s) the unvaccinated staff work.
She added that with these seven newly-vaccinated employees, 99 per cent of WHCA staff is fully vaccinated across the organization.
