Winnipeg, MB – Today, the City of Winnipeg announced an expanded COVID-19 vaccine requirement which will now apply to all City employees.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, the health and safety of our residents and our employees continues to be foremost in our minds,” said Michael Jack, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Winnipeg. “By requiring all of our employees to be fully immunized against COVID-19, we are doing everything we can to keep our employees safe and to protect the critical services they deliver to our residents.”
The City will continue to follow all other COVID-19 safety protocols inside City-operated facilities, including requiring masks inside city facilities and vehicles, practicing social distancing, and encouraging employees to work remotely where possible.
Staff who are included in this expanded COVID-19 vaccine requirement are expected to be fully vaccinated by February 22, 2022, which means they must receive their first vaccine dose no later than January 11, 2022 and their second dose no later than February 8, 2022.
The City will begin collecting vaccine status information from identified staff in the coming weeks. Any City staff who are unable to get vaccinated due to medical reasons, will be subject to regular and frequent COVID-19 testing.
To date,5,500 City staff were required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Of those 5,500 approximately 97% are fully immunized, while 175 staff are subject to regular testing. At this time, 12 staff are on unpaid leave for failing to comply with the program.
For more information on the City’s response to COVID-19, see: winnipeg.ca/COVID-19.