Workers at the city of Quesnel will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the new year.
The city announced the policy through a news release on Friday, Nov. 5. City manager Byron Johnson said that employees must be fully vaccinated to be able to work beginning on Jan. 3, 2022.
“If (employees) are still not vaccinated by Jan. 28, they won’t have lived up to the conditions of their employment,” he said.
Johnson said the city did a survey to see how many employees were already vaccinated, but not enough people responded to give a solid number on how many people working are vaccinated.
“As an employer, the city feels it is important to act in alignment with the provincial mandate that all B.C. public sector employees must be vaccinated, and the provincial health officer’s recommendation that all large employers put similar policies in place,” the news release reads.
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Johnson said it was on the city and other large employers to serve as examples.
“From a health and welfare perspective we have lots of employees requesting we go down this road,” Johnson said. “They don’t feel quite as safe when working around unvaccinated people.”
Volunteers and contractors entering a city-owned or operated facility will also require proof of vaccination. Under 80 per cent of eligible people in the Quesnel local health area have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, as of Nov. 2.
The news release notes the final details of the policy are being finalized, and exemptions will be made for “medical or other grounds protected under the Human Rights Code of BC.”
READ MORE: City of Quesnel details vaccine passport policies
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