British Columbia

The B.C. Supreme Court has ruled that the province's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health-care workers was justified, based on the significant risk posed by the virus when the province's mandate was renewed in October 2023.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry had first imposed the orders on all workers in B.C. health-care settings in October 2021. The order was renewed in 2022 and 2023, and remains in place across B.C.

According to a judgment posted Monday, around 1,800 workers lost their jobs for being unvaccinated contrary to the mandate.

Some of those workers — which included nurse practitioners, surgeons, psychiatrists and administrators — filed separate lawsuits against the province, which were all collectively heard by Justice Simon Coval.