City of Toronto employees now have until Friday to disclose their immunization status to their employer, after being granted an extension of the original Monday deadline.
As of Monday, city spokesman Brad Ross told the Star, more than half of the more than 37,000 workers had responded, and the vast majority said they were fully vaccinated against the virus.
Others need more time to respond because some of them do not work in offices or do not have access to city email, “a primary way to communicate with staff,” about the requirement, he said.
“Supervisors will be coming out this week to remind everyone of the need to fill out the form,” Ross said in an email. “They can use a personal device. It’s simple and fast. “
Last month, Toronto announced that vaccinations are mandatory for city personnel, with limited exceptions for people who can demonstrate health or human rights reasons.
Those who simply do not want a vaccine, or who have not responded by Friday, must attend mandatory education on the benefits of inoculation against the virus.
Independent city agencies, including TTC and the Toronto Police Service, quickly followed suit with their own vaccine mandates.
City staff who are not vaccinated will be asked to provide proof of the first dose by September 30 and proof of the second dose by October 30. Those who refuse to be vaccinated, or who provide evidence, will face potential punishment for violating a city policy.
City officials will not specify possible penalties, saying they hope they will not be necessary. But they have not ruled out suspending or firing unvaccinated workers, citing the risk that they could infect co-workers or members of the public with the highly contagious variant of COVID-19 Delta.
Of “more than half” of city workers who had responded Monday, about 94 percent “indicated they are fully vaccinated,” Ross said, adding that exact numbers will be released later.
Dave Mitchell, president of CUPE Local 79, which represents some 20,000 “insiders” in the city, said the vaccination requirement was “announced on very short notice and, of course, we are pleased that an extension has been provided.
“This extension will allow some of our members the opportunity to obtain their second dose of vaccine or the appropriate documentation should they require an accommodation,” Mitchell said in an email.
Traffic workers unions and Toronto police personnel oppose the vaccination requirements.
The Star reported last Friday that police officers had already been told that they would not be punished for missing Monday’s deadline.
Toronto Mayor John Tory, in an unrelated news conference Monday morning, told reporters that the extensions do not mean the city is moving away from its commitment to a fully vaccinated workforce.
“We are firm in our policy, but we are also eager to maintain the good partnership with our employees that we have had from the beginning,” said Tory.
“There are no options off the table when it comes to people who absolutely refuse, after a period of time and education, to do the right thing and get vaccinated, without a medical exemption.”
Reference-www.thestar.com