The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) has launched a new #FullyVaccinated social media campaign to encourage everyone to receive both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and is calling for mandatory vaccination for health-care workers in contact with patients.

“Ontario, Canada and many places around the world are facing highly contagious COVID-19 variants. The best defence to beat this virus is to get vaccinated and encourage everyone around you to receive both doses of the vaccine,” says RNAO President Morgan Hoffarth. “We call on all Ontarians, Canadians and everyone around the world to join us in our #FullyVaccinated social media campaign to stop the spread of COVID-19 once and for all.”

In today’s report I focus on long-haul COVID – a major aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic that has not received the attention it deserves.

RNAO congratulates RoseAnne Archibald for her historic election as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. National Chief Archibald becomes the first woman to lead the Assembly.

The government announced today an earlier reopening of the province to step 3. The news did not come as a surprise given the successful vaccination rollout and decreased hospitalization rates. In several media interviews I expressed that although the five day advanced reopening is not a major concern, the lack of capacity restrictions in indoor activities is.

The government announced today an earlier reopening of the province to step 3. The news did not come as a surprise given the successful vaccination rollout and decreased hospitalization rates. In several media interviews I expressed that although the five day advanced reopening is not a major concern, the lack of capacity restrictions in indoor activities is. For example, the requirement for a two meter distance between tables at a restaurant – without percentage limit of patrons – will be difficult to monitor and enforce. In the face of a dominating Delta variant and an even more aggressive Lambda variant (originating in Peru) in our doorsteps, having unvaccinated persons in large tables drinking and laughing could quickly lead to a fourth wave.

With more than 800 registered nurses (RN), nurse practitioners (NP), nursing students, politicians and guests from all over Ontario and beyond joining us virtually, RNAO celebrated almost a century of success in health care and nursing at our 96th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on June 24-26.