Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies in Ontario hospitals, LTC homes, schools end today

Cp24.com
March 14, 2022
Chris Herhalt

The broad legal requirement for places such as schools, long-term care homes and hospitals in Ontario to maintain mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies expires on Monday.

As part of the first step in the province exiting most COVID-19 measures in the next 45 days, a raft of requirements for schools, congregate care settings and hospitals to have COVID-19 vaccination policies and mandatory testing for unvaccinated staff end today.

All facilities can retain their own policy if they choose to do so.

Impacted sectors will continue to receive supplies of rapid antigen tests and healthcare and congregate care staff and residents remain eligible for free PCR testing.

Also starting Monday, the province is further relaxing visitor rules at long-term care homes.

Children under five, who are by default unvaccinated, will now be allowed in to visit residents.

Unvaccinated residents will now be allowed out for overnight visits.

The number of guest each long-term care resident can receive at a time increases to four.

“Testing requirements for all staff, caregivers and visitors continue to be in place,” the government said in a statement detailing the changes.