Safety-Palooza rally calls for 'Safe September' in Ottawa during COVID-19 pandemic

OTTAWA -

Ottawa residents took their calls for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for health, education and essential workers to Ottawa City Hall on Sunday.

Dozens of people attended the 'Safety-Palooza' rally at the Human Rights Monument Sunday afternoon, a rally to call on governments to ensure a Safe September for the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"What more can we do to ensure safety for our kids, for our seniors, for our people with disabilities," said Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth.

Speakers, including CHEO doctors and social workers, called on all eligible residents to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to ensure a Safe September during the fourth wave of the pandemic.

"The Ottawa Hospital, the Montfort (Hospital), the Queensway Carleton (Hospital) need to step up and say it's absolutely mandatory," said Dr. Kaplan-Myrth.

"We need the school boards – the Ottawa Carleton District School Board and the Catholic school board – to step up. Now we need to ensure that everybody who is eligible has been vaccinated."

Ottawa South MPP John Fraser, Ottawa Centre MPP Joel Harden and Coun. Shawn Menard were among those attending the rally Sunday afternoon.

"We need vaccine passports. People need to have the tools to keep each other safe," said Fraser.

Fraser also addressed the issue of mandatory COVID-19 vaccines, saying it's a "reasonable expectation that we have for each other" that people receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Last week, the Ontario government announced the Ministry of Education will introduce a vaccination disclosure policy for all publicly funded school board employees for the 2021-22 school year. If employees are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, they will face rapid antigen testing requirements.

CHEO has made COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for all staff, while the Ottawa Hospital, Queensway Carleton Hospital and Montfort Hospital are following provincial regulations – which state unvaccinated staff must undergo regular COVID-19 testing.

The Ottawa Carleton District School Board will host a special meeting Tuesday evening to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and plans for the 2021-22 school year.

"This is a non-partisan event to motivate change. Our goal is a safe September," says Dr. Kaplan-Myrth.

"We can make that happen with mandatory vaccinations for health and education workers, and other essential workers, including grocers, people who handle food in restaurants, bus drivers, and others who interact with the public indoors. Essentially, everyone born in 2009 and older should get vaccinated to keep us all safer."