City of Burlington Introduces COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate for all City Employees

COVID-19
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*Please see below a news release issued by the City of Burlington.Burlington, Ont.— Jan. 7, 2022 — A revision to the City of Burlington’s COVID-19 Staff Vaccination Policy will now require all City employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The new mandatory vaccination policy reflects the need to ensure City workplaces are protected from the impacts of COVID-19 and supports the City’s top priority of keeping City employees and residents safe and reducing the spread of coronavirus.The mandatory policy, which is effective immediately, applies to all staff and any new individuals being hired by the City. Employees will be required to submit their proof of vaccination by April 1, 2022. A previous COVID-19 vaccination mandate put in place for the Fire Department will require all Fire staff to submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19 by March 1, 2022.  The City will comply with its human rights obligations and accommodate employees who are legally entitled to accommodation.The City of Burlington first introduced a COVID-19 Staff Vaccination Policy in August 2021. The policy required all City employees to show proof of vaccination by Oct. 1, 2021 and included a Rapid Antigen Testing option for those City staff not yet vaccinated prior to entering a City workplace.Under the revised mandated policy, the definition of “fully vaccinated” is an individual who has received the full series of a COVID-19 vaccine or combination of COVID-19 vaccines approved by the Public Health Agency of Canada. It does not include booster shots at this time.Staff who do not comply with the updated policy may be subject to progressive disciplinary measures including termination.

"The situation with COVID-Omicron variant is dynamic and continues to evolve quickly. Over the last 21 months with the support of Council, the City’s leadership team has continually implemented and revised City policies and practices to help reduce the impact of the pandemic. The need to revise our Staff Vaccination Policy to now make it mandatory is totally aligned with our number one goal of protecting the health and safety of Burlington residents and staff." -- Tim Commisso, Burlington City Manager"A mandatory vaccination policy at the city is one more step we can take to protect our staff and our residents, and ensure we can continue to safely provide the services our residents depend on. This action is especially important as we deal with the highly transmissible Omicron variant. I am truly grateful to our staff and our community members who have already taken steps to get vaccinated and are following all other health measures to keep themselves and those around them healthy and safe. We will get through this together." -- Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

Quick Facts:

  • To date, 94% of City employees have provided proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

To support the health and safety of the community and City staff, the City of Burlington also has a COVID-19 Contractor Vaccination Policy. The policy requires contractors to be vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to entering any City facility. The policy applies to all contractors who perform work for the City of Burlington indoors, for a period of longer than 15 minutes.COVID-19 Links & Resources:

--*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor's Media and Digital Communications Specialist

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