City of Ottawa extends deadline for employees to get fully vaccinated
City of Ottawa employees have an additional two weeks to get fully vaccinated, as the city extends the deadline for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination in the workforce.
In a memo to council, city manager Steve Kanellakos announced the deadline for compliance to the mandatory vaccination policy has been extended from Nov. 1 to Nov. 15.
"While significant progress has been made on the implementation of this policy, with the majority of City staff reporting they are fully vaccinated, extending the deadline by two weeks will allow for follow-up with the employees who have not yet reported their status and ensure as many employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 as possible," said Kanellakos.
Kanellakos adds the "one-time" extension to the deadline will allow for additional on-site technical support for staff to upload their vaccination status and provide employees who recently received their second dose additional time to achieve the two-week waiting period to be fully vaccinated.
As of Thursday, 91.4 per cent of active city employees are fully vaccinated. The city of Ottawa's current vaccination rate for residents 12 and older is 86 per cent.
Earlier this month, the Amalgamated Transit Union warned 400 to 500 OC Transpo drivers could face suspension for not being fully vaccinated.
Kanellakos said council would receive an update before the Nov. 15 deadline on potential impacts to the workforce because of non-vaccinated workers.
"While the number of staff fully vaccinated is high, departments are actively developing plans to ensure business continuity and mitigate any potential impacts to service resulting from the enforcement of this policy," said the city manager.
On Sept. 3, Kanellakos announced the city would implement a mandatory vaccination policy, requiring all employees, contractors, students and volunteers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The policy stated that employees must receive their first dose no later than Sept. 15, their second shot by Oct. 15 and be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1.
All city of Ottawa staff are required to disclose their vaccination status. Kanellakos said the city was implementing a technology solution to support the collection and storage of proof of vaccination status.
Any employee who refuses to comply with the requirements of the mandatory vaccination policy will not be permitted in the workplace, and may be "subject to a variety of consequences" up to and including dismissal, according to Kanellakos.
OTTAWA POLICE VACCINATION POLICY
While all city of Ottawa employees must be fully vaccinated to attend work, unvaccinated employees can still work with the Ottawa Police Service.
Under the police vaccination policy released last Friday, all unvaccinated uniformed and civilian employees must undergo testing every three days and provide a negative COVID-19 result.
As of last week, 83 per cent of Ottawa Police Service employees were fully vaccinated.
Mayor Jim Watson and Ottawa Police Services Board Chair Diane Deans have both said 100 per cent of police employees should be fully vaccinated.
"I don't support what the Ottawa police have done. They are an independent organization and have their own board, but I think we all have to practise what we preach," said Watson after Wednesday's council meeting. "We are out there telling people to get double vaccinated, or they risk losing their jobs at the city of Ottawa. It’s not a frivolous thing that we are engaged in, it is a serious matter."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.