City of Ottawa makes COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for employees
The city of Ottawa will make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory for all its employees, with workers who don’t comply facing possible dismissal.
The new policy will require all employees, contractors, students and volunteers at the city to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1, city manager Steve Kanellakos said in a memo on Friday.
“Our goal is to increase the safety of the workplace for staff, as well as for residents accessing our services,” he said. “As we’ve seen the Delta variant fueling resurgences, this policy demonstrates that the city of Ottawa is a leader in our community.”
All staff who are not yet vaccinated must receive their first dose no later than Sept. 15 and their second dose no later than Oct. 15. They must be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1.
Staff will be required to disclose proof of vaccination status. The city says it’s working on technology to support the collection and storage of proof of vaccination status.
Staff who are unable to be vaccinated must provide written proof from a doctor or nurse practitioner. Unvaccinated employees who don’t have a valid medical exemption will be required to complete a mandatory education session.
“Staff who do not have a valid medical exemption may take vacation leave, time off in lieu or a leave of absence,” the memo says. Employees who refuse to comply won’t be allowed in the workplace and may be subject to “a variety of consequences, which can include leave without play or discipline, up to and including dismissal.”
Mayor Jim Watson said earlier this summer he didn’t think the city had the legal power to make vaccination mandatory for employees. He then asked the city manager to develop a vaccination policy for city staff.
Kanellakos says the policy was developed with Ottawa Public Health.
Watson says he is bringing a motion to council next week to apply the policy to councillors as well.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.