Manitoba doctors call for COVID vaccine mandate for all health-care workers

WINNIPEG — An organization that represents doctors in Manitoba is calling for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for health-care workers.

Dr. Kristjan Thompson, president of Doctors Manitoba, says the shots must be required in health care, where all workers have a duty to protect their patients.

Manitoba has been holding back a fourth pandemic wave that is emerging in other areas of Canada, despite significantly loosening public health restrictions nearly a month ago.

There has been a low number of daily cases and the five-day test positivity rate is at 2.3 per cent provincially.

Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, says he supports decisions by universities in the province to make vaccinations mandatory to attend on-campus classes.

He says details about vaccine requirements are expected later this week.