TORONTO – Another step backwards and new directives for vaccines. After last week hinted that Ontario in ten days at most would reach such a level of vaccinations that it would allow it to loosen all remaining restrictions, today the Chief Medical Officer of Health Kieran Moore (in the pic, credit: Twitter, AwesomeKingston), said that at the moment this project is suspended. 

Today, during a press conference Dr Moore outlined Ontario’s plan to make vaccination policies mandatory for some high-risk environments and to start administering third doses to those who are at higher risk of serious complications from Covid-19.

Ontario’s seven-day moving average of new cases has risen by 54%, we are in the midst of the fourth wave of the pandemic, and there are growing concerns that Ontario hospitals may soon see another influx of Covid-19 patients, predominantly unvaccinated ones.

And it was precisely the evolution of the situation that prompted Moore to suspend any further reopening and to issue a directive requiring employees, staff, students and volunteers in hospitals and home and community care facilities to provide proof of complete vaccination against Covid-19, have a medical reason for not being vaccinated or participate in an educational program on vaccination. “The new vaccination policies must be implemented in high-risk contexts no later than September 7 – said the doctor – people in these contexts who do not provide proof of complete immunization against Covid will be required to undergo rapid tests and complete an educational session on the vaccine”.

The Ministry of Education will also introduce an equivalent protocol for all education workers and staff in licensed childcare facilities, which will come into force before the start of the school year. “Maintaining a low rate of infections in our communities and protecting the most vulnerable is how we can keep our schools and businesses as safe as possible while minimizing disruption,” Moore said.

The move to the next stage in the roadmap for reopening, Moore made clear, will not happen. Or rather, we will still have to wait to lift most of the remaining public health restrictions. The doctor and other public health officials will continue to monitor the data to determine when the time will be appropriate.

Meanwhile, the province intends to step up its efforts to ensure that people in high-risk settings are vaccinated: in addition to imposing vaccination guidelines for health and education workers, it will also require that a number of other high-risk contexts that include post-secondary institutions, retirement homes, women’s shelters and day programs for adults with developmental disabilities also follow the same guidelines. The province is also expanding eligibility for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to children born in 2009, who will turn 12 this year.

The University Health Network has already addressed the vaccinations issue by introducing directives that require its employees to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or present a negative test before they arrive at work.

Dr. Kieran Moore (credit: Twitter, AwesomeKingston)