Winnipeg, MB – Today, the City of Winnipeg announced a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for front-line employees who have ongoing contact with vulnerable residents, including children under 12, or work in high-risk settings with direct, ongoing contact with the public. The requirement will extend to a number of employees including those working in public safety, community protection, recreation services, public transportation, and public-facing customer service roles. The City will continue to encourage all employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“The health and safety of our residents and our employees has always been foremost in our minds as we continue to adapt to the changing COVID-19 landscape,” said Michael Jack, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Winnipeg. “We will continue to require masks, practice social distancing, and follow our other COVID-19 safety protocols inside City-operated facilities. Requiring our front-line employees to get their COVID-19 vaccination adds one more layer of protection for everyone, especially those who are still unable to get vaccinated.”
Staff who work in identified positions that are required to have a COVID-19 vaccine are expected to be fully vaccinated by November 15, 2021, which means they must receive their first vaccine dose no later than September 30 and their second dose no later than October 28.
The City will begin collecting vaccine status information from identified staff next week. The City is also working in conjunction with the Province of Manitoba to set up mobile vaccine clinics for employees who are not yet vaccinated to reduce barriers that may exist for those who have been unable to get vaccinated to date.
“We want to ensure that access to a vaccine is not a barrier for any staff that are required to have the vaccine, and we will make every reasonable effort to ensure vaccine clinics are available at or near their workplace,” said Jack.
The City is continuing to explore options for staff who are not vaccinated, including frequent COVID-19 testing or redeployment to a role that is not in contact with the public. More details on options for staff will be finalized once we have been able to determine how many employees are not vaccinated. In the meantime, the City is working with the Province on the logistics of a COVID-19 testing program for front-line staff.
For more information on the City’s response to COVID-19, see: winnipeg.ca/COVID-19.