BC health officials provided an update on respiratory illness in the province Friday, the first of 2023..Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry took the stage alongside Health Minister Adrian Dix, neither of whom detailed when the province will allow nurses not vaccinated against COVID-19 to return to work, instead confirming the mandate will indefinitely remain in place..BC is one of only two Canadian provinces still requiring COVID-19 vaccination for nurses, the other being Nova Scotia..While other provinces allowed unvaccinated nurses to return to work last year amid nationwide healthcare staffing shortages, BC is taking a different approach to alleviate its shortage of nurses by making it easier for vaccinated, internationally educated nurses (IENs) to get registered and licensed..The plan was set in motion last spring and Premier David Eby provided new details this week..“Supporting nurses is key to our work to making healthcare accessible to all British Columbians. Still, the demand for nurses is outpacing the supply,” said Eby..IENs will no longer be required to pay application and assessment fees — which cost more than $3,700 — upfront. The fees will instead be covered by the province..Henry began her first public health update of the year by addressing “the impact this pandemic has had on racialized communities.”.“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that,” said Henry, quoting Martin Luther King Jr..She then proceeded to thank the British Columbians who received vaccines over the holidays..“Would you rather be the only person vaccinated in your community, or the only person unvaccinated in your community, and everybody else is vaccinated?” asked Henry..“That’s an important thing to think about because all of us being vaccinated gives an added protection for those who don’t have a stronger response to vaccines, and it gives a buffer so that the viruses can’t spread easily.”.READ MORE: Certification hearing gets underway for non-profit suing Henry
