City of Vancouver mandates COVID-19 vaccine for employees
Posted October 18, 2021 5:40 pm.
The City of Vancouver will require all municipal employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 6.
In an announcement Monday, the city said the move follows a recommendation from the provincial health officer that “large employers” implement mandatory immunization.
“Employees who do not comply with the requirements of the new policy will not be permitted in the workplace,” says a statement from a spokesperson.
“Public health has consistently reported that a higher percentage of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are among those who are unvaccinated. Vaccines provide a high level of protection against COVID-19 and related variants.”
All City of Vancouver staff will be required to be fully vaccinated with two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by December 6, 2021. The full news release is available here https://t.co/rdCscesIhF pic.twitter.com/m9n9QwuDPb
— City of Vancouver (@CityofVancouver) October 18, 2021
Workers who can not be vaccinated for medical reasons, or because of their membership in a protected group defined by the BC Human Rights Code will be accommodated, the city says.
Mayor Kennedy Stewart issued a statement in support of the policy, noting the high vaccinations rates in the city.
“This next step will help us prepare to welcome visitors and business back to Vancouver as we continue to re-open and position our community as one of the best places in the world to live, work, and play,” he writes.
As of Oct.12, the percentage of residents of the five areas of Vancouver listed by the BCCDC with two doses ranges between 89 per cent and 91 per cent. The provincial average on that day was 82.6 per cent.
