The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN), which represents more than 10,000 Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and Nurse Practitioners, is joining other medical professionals in adding its support for mandatory COVID-19 immunizations for all healthcare workers.
“Registered nurses are healthcare professionals, first and foremost,” said SUN President Tracy Zambory. “Our membership has overwhelmingly received their COVID-19 vaccinations and recognizes that these immunizations are an important tool in our toolkit against this virus. Registered nurses want to protect themselves, their patients and their colleagues.”
For healthcare workers who are unable to receive a vaccine due to medical exemptions, or who object for bona fide religious reasons, SUN supports regular antigen testing, continued use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), the use of antiviral drugs, when relevant, and the option for staff to be reassigned to another position.
Saskatchewan’s registered nurses are also calling on the Government of Saskatchewan to resume public health measures, including but not limited, to enforcing mandatory masking for indoor public spaces.
“We’ve seen the data and we know that masking along with additional health measures, has dramatically decreased the spread of COVID-19, thus decreasing the number of COVID-19 patients we’re seeing in hospitals and ICUs,” said Zambory. “Wearing a mask is much more comfortable than being intubated.”
These calls for immunizations and requiring masks in indoor public spaces aim to slow the spread of COVID-19 as the province prepares for another school year, and looms under the threat of a fourth wave of the pandemic. |
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