Kingston, Ont. hospital suspends 136 employees without pay for violating vaccine mandate
Kingston’s research and teaching hospital has placed 136 employees on two-week, unpaid leave for failing to comply with the hospital's new COVID-19 vaccination policy.
The new policy at Kingston Health Sciences Centre requires all staff, physicians and learners to provide proof of having received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, or a documented medical reason for not being vaccinated, by Wednesday.
Ninety-five per cent of the Kingston Health Sciences Centre's employees have met the first dose requirement, and fewer than 10 employees have been granted a medical exemption.
"As of September 22, 136 KHSC employees are in non-compliance with our immunization policy and have been placed on an unpaid two-week administrative leave," said KHSC in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.
"Following those two weeks, further disciplinary may be taken, up to and including termination, if those individuals cannot show proof of vaccination or cannot produce a valid medical exemption."
The Kingston Health Sciences Centre did not say how many of the 136 employees suspended are nurses or physicians.
KHSC COVID-19 incident commander Elizabeth Bardon says the policy to suspend without pay is necessary to avoid an outbreak like the Kingston General Hospital faced earlier this summer.
“Having staff who have to go off work because they’ve been exposed, or worse are bringing COVID in and exposing their patients and our co-workers is just not something that we feel we can manage during COVID, and so this the way we’re going as many other hospitals in the province are," said Bardon on Thursday afternoon.
Bardon says the employees placed on leave will have two weeks to show their proof of vaccination or provide a medical exemption. Those who don't comply could be terminated.
"We have informed people that they will go into a disciplinary stream for failing to abide by a policy. And we will work out the next steps with our people services team over the next couple of weeks," said Bardon.
There are 5,000 employees at the Kingston Health Sciences Centre, including nurses and doctor.
The Kingston Health Sciences Centre includes Kingston General Hospital, the Hotel Dieu Hospital and the Cancer Centre of Southeastern Ontario.
"As an organization, we strongly believe that vaccination is the top preventive strategy against COVID-19, in conjunction with screening, wearing personal protective equipment such as masks, and physical distancing," said KHSC.
"As health-care providers, we have an ethical and professional obligation to take all necessary steps to keep our patients, families and each other safe from COVID-19."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to remove pro-Palestinian encampment from campus
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.