1.6-billion dollars in new health care spending will see 7-thousand people hired to work at long-term care facilities across BC that have been ravaged by COVID-19.
The move was made as the government potentially deals with a second surge of the virus with flu season also on the horizon.
In an interview with Vista Radio, Premier John Horgan said the hiring blitz will keep more people employed during the pandemic.
“That’s a great opportunity for hospitality workers who may be out of work due to a slow down in the tourism industry as a result of our borders being closed and we are trying to find economic opportunities within the pandemic as well, keeping people safe as a benefit because with more health care workers we will get better outcomes.”
Last week, the province also announced 500 new contact tracers will be hired this fall.
Horgan stated the application process has been a major hit.
“We had an overwhelming number of applications, so many, that we are going to hire an additional 100 tracers bringing it up to 600 so I think we are as well prepared as we can be and other jurisdictions are following our lead by investing in health care.”
“We need qualified people for this, of course, oftentimes we get nurses and retired doctors or health care, workers are the best people to ask questions for people who may have come in contact.”
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