City of Winnipeg mandates COVID-19 vaccine for all workers

The City of Winnipeg is mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all its employees, an expansion of its previous requirement that only front-line workers get the shot.

About 4,900 workers will be affected by the new rule, which requires a first dose by Jan. 11 and a second dose by Feb. 8to qualify as fully vaccinated by Feb. 22.

"This change will help ensure all our employees, their work environments and interactions with residents are safer,"Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman said at a news conference Monday. "Public servants are doing their part to serve the public by getting the vaccine."

It's a change that will nearly double the number of city employees that fall under the vaccine mandate.

In mid-September, city officials announced that all workers directly in contact with vulnerable residentsabout 5,500 would have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19by Nov. 15.

As of Monday, Bowman said 97 per cent of those employees had provided proof they are fully vaccinated, a fact he called "very encouraging" but he hopes to get up to 100 per cent.

Of those front-line workers, approximately 175 currently undergo regular testing and 12 are on unpaid leave for failing to comply with the mandate, saidMichael Jack, the City of Winnipeg's chief administrative officer.

Jack said there's been no negative impact on city services or programs as a result of the mandate.

"This wasnot a decision we took lightly," said Jack, adding the vaccine program will help protect employees and the critical services that they deliver.