Fifth Update on Vaccination Mandates

With final data in, Nova Scotia is reporting high rates of COVID-19 vaccination for employees under both the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for key sectors and the provincial vaccine mandate for civil servants.

Under the key sectors mandate, of those reporting, 99.2 per cent of 58,519 frontline workers in healthcare, continuing care, emergency health services, education and other sectors that work with vulnerable Nova Scotians have at least one dose of vaccine, and 97.0 per cent are fully vaccinated. There are 1,923 people still to report for various reasons.

There are 960 employees, or 1.3 per cent of the full workforce in those sectors, now on unpaid leave because they are not vaccinated or did not report their vaccine status.

Among civil servants who have reported their vaccination status, 99.1 per cent have at least one dose, and 97.2 per cent are fully vaccinated. There are 621 employees still to report for various reasons; most of them are currently on approved leaves of absence.

There are 93 civil servants now on unpaid leave because they are not vaccinated or didn’t report their vaccine status.

“I am very proud of the Nova Scotians who stepped up to ensure the people they serve are well-protected from this virus, especially given there is now a new variant of concern,” said Premier Tim Houston. “The civil service also showed its dedication to the people of the province with a very high rate of vaccination. The few in both mandates who didn’t get vaccinated have made their choice. It’s unfortunate they are no longer in the workplace, but I’m glad they won’t be putting patients, students, seniors and other vulnerable people at risk.”

The following have vaccination rates above 99 per cent:

• Nova Scotia Health Authority – 99.6
• IWK Health Centre – 99.7
• Education – 99.0
• Correctional Services – 99.6
• Emergency Health Services – 99.6
• Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia – 99.4

A table with more detailed results of the two mandates, as of December 2, can be found at: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/docs/covid-19-vaccine-mandate-numbers-en.pdf . Data collection continues. Questions about an organization’s data or contingency plans should be directed to that organization.

Under both the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for key sectors and the provincial civil service vaccination directive, all employees were required to have at least a first dose of vaccine by November 30.

Employees who did not have a first dose by November 30 faced employment consequences, including unpaid leave, which began December 1. Those who are partially vaccinated may be subject to other health and safety measures, including testing.

Quick Facts:

• under the COVID-19 vaccination mandate, employees were required to have at least a first dose of vaccine by November 30, with a requirement to show proof of full vaccination up to 70 days after their first dose; those who were partially vaccinated may be subjected to other health and safety measures, including testing; those who did not have a first dose by November 30 were placed on unpaid leave
• under the provincial civil service vaccination directive, employees had to have a first dose of the vaccine by November 30, with a requirement to show proof of full vaccination up to 56 days after their first dose; those who did not have a first dose by November 30 faced employment consequences up to and including unpaid leave
• 84.9 per cent of all Nova Scotians have at least one dose of vaccine and 81.3 per cent are fully vaccinated

Additional Resources:

Information on COVID-19 vaccines and how to get vaccinated: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/vaccine/

More information on the COVID-19 vaccination mandate: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20211105004

More information on the provincial civil service vaccination mandate: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20211006005