Metlifecare applauds today’s Government announcement that COVID-19 vaccinations will be mandated for healthcare workers.
The announcement follows the formalisation of Metlifecare’s own vaccination policy, which requires all employees to be
vaccinated against COVID-19.
Metlifecare CEO Earl Gasparich says, “The law in New Zealand requires Metlifecare to ensure, so far as reasonably
practicable, the health and safety of both employees and other persons, including our residents, in all of our
facilities. Additionally, a large number of our residents are considered to be vulnerable or high-risk, and both
residents and their families have been clear that having contact with employees who are unvaccinated is a source of
significant concern and, given what we know of the potentially devastating effects of COVID-19, they are not willing to
accept that risk.”
Recent information from the Ministry of Health provides evidence that some variants of COVID-19 are far more
transmissible, which heightens the threat of COVID-19 significantly in the workplace. This also requires increased risk
management to ensure the ongoing health and safety of residents and employees.
Metlifecare has been active in supporting and facilitating its residents and employees to be vaccinated against
COVID-19, by providing evidence-based information and coordinating on-site vaccinations at our villages and care homes,
as well as opportunities at other locations for employees to be vaccinated. As a result, resident and employee
vaccination rates are high, with close to 92% of employees and the vast majority of village and care home residents now
vaccinated.
Mr Gasparich says, “We are delighted with the Government’s decision, we believe it has the potential to save lives and
will also allay the concerns of thousands of senior New Zealanders, who are most at risk of negative outcomes should
they be infected with COVID-19.”