Click here to read the latest COVID-19 information at Nucleus.

UPDATE from December 6, 2021** See blog post on mandatory vaccination for all Nucleus staff here.

On August 17, 2021, the Ontario Provincial Government released Directive 6, which requires mandatory vaccination for all employees who work in a health care setting or regular COVID testing if unvaccinated.

The Directive requires Nucleus’ employees, including those who work on behalf of Nucleus, to provide proof of vaccination or a medical certificate issued by a physician or nurse practitioner, indicating the employee has a valid medical reason for not being vaccinated. All unvaccinated staff must attend a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine education session as well as participate in regular COVID-19 testing (minimum of once per week).  All education and testing for unvaccinated staff will be complete by October 5, 2021.

Anyone who presents with a positive COVID-19 test result will be removed from service until their symptoms are cleared and their test result is negative. This practice remains true for both vaccinated and unvaccinated staff. If an employee does not provide proof of their negative COVID-19 test, they will not be cleared for service delivery, and subsequently, will be removed from the schedule for the week. As a result, this policy may create service disruption to you (e.g. a last-minute staff changes) – with the goal of ensuring our staff are safe to provide care to you.

An individual’s vaccination status is protected under the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004, which is why employee health and/or vaccine information is kept entirely confidential. As an employer, we continuously share information on the important role vaccines play in protecting ourselves, our consumers and our communities. We continue to rely on expert, medical advice on the safety and efficacy of vaccines as well as on the validated data, which shows the discrepancy between hospitalization and ICU admissions for those who are unvaccinated versus vaccinated.  Thus, while you may ask an employee if they are vaccinated, they are not required to respond as part of their own protected rights.

Vaccination is only one tool in our toolbox.

We recognize that vaccination is only one layer of protection in our toolbox against COVID. Our front-line employees are also required to screen twice daily, adhere to all Public Health guidelines, wear proper personal protection equipment when delivering care and remain home when they are feeling unwell. I feel fortunate to say that since the pandemic began, Nucleus has delivered over 200,000 visits without any transmission of COVID. This speaks to the level of commitment our staff have taken to ensure your safety and their own. Our fight against COVID continues and we will not let down our guard to ensure all protections are in place.