Six positive cases of COVID-19 identified in unvaccinated health-care employees

Six unvaccinated Manitoba health-care workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in the first two weeks of the province's screening program.

The cases were identified through rapid antigen testing and subsequently confirmed with PCR tests.

The province's vaccine mandate for front-line workers requires public sector workers who have contact with the public to be fully vaccinated or agree to regular rapid testing to stay on the job.

That policy took effect on October 18, but some think the policy has holes.

"We're instigating a system that is not really foolproof,” said Dr. Samir Sinha, the director of geriatrics at Sinai Health in Toronto. “We've instigated a system that might make us feel better and might make us feel like we're doing something rather than nothing."

Sinha, a former Winnipegger, said unvaccinated staff providing a negative rapid test 48 hours before a shift is not an equal substitute to being fully vaccinated.

"The problem with testing is it only tells you what’s happening at a certain point in time,” said Sinha. “It doesn’t guarantee that person hasn’t gotten COVID either before or after that test."