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The manager of a Vernon taxi company says he's stuck between a "rock and a hard a place" when it comes to making a decision of whether or not to pick up health-care workers from facilities experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.

Vernon Taxi manager Dave Kassam told iNFOnews.ca his company's policy had been to not pick up health-care workers if the facility where they worked was currently going through a COVID-19 outbreak.

"We're trying to do what we feel is right to protect everybody in the community," Kassam told iNFOnews.ca. "We're just trying to keep everybody safe because if that person is in and out of a lockdown facility the chances of them catching (COVID-19) right now are probably very high, and then spreading to us and anybody else that gets in our cars."

Currently, there are COVID-19 outbreaks in Vernon at The Hamlets and Heritage Square Facility.

Hassam reiterates he's just doing what he believes is right to protect his drivers and the public.

"I wish we had a better answer but there's not much we can do without jeopardizing everybody," he added.

READ MORE: COVID outbreaks declared in three more care homes in Interior Health

However, a health-care worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, sees the policy as discrimination against essential workers.

The health-care worker currently works at The Hamlets assisted living and long-term care home which is currently under lockdown following a COVID-19 outbreak, declared by Interior Health Jan. 9.

The health-care worker said she regularly uses the taxi service to get to and from work.

On Jan. 11, a colleague of hers was refused a ride from Vernon Taxi because of the outbreak.

Hassam says he sympathizes with the care workers.

"I know that the care aids are doing a frontline job, but so are we and we're trying to protect ourselves and our passengers and everybody else," he said.

After being contacted by iNFOnews.ca, Kassam spoke to the Hamlets who advised him all staff have a COVID-19 test before each shift.

"Now they're testing (staff) every day which changes the game, so we're back to picking them up," Kassam said.

The taxi manager said when care homes had been in lockdown before due to COVID-19 outbreaks rapid testing wasn't a thing.

But what if a care home worker catches COVID-19 while at work and then calls for a lift home?

"It's definitely scary," he said. "And I'll leave it up to my drivers."

Kassam believes the vast majority of his drivers are fully vaccinated, but he hasn't mandated vaccinations so he had no way to be sure.

But he reiterated, "we're back to picking them up."

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