B.C. to hire 1,400 out-of-work tourism and hospitality workers at vaccination clinics

Premier John Horgan announced on Wednesday that the province plans to hire 1,400 out-of-work tourism and hospitality workers to assist with non-clinical staff work at mass-vaccination clinics.

The B.C. government will backstop some salaries for more than 1,400 tourism and hospitality workers being hired to work at COVID-19 mass-vaccination clinics.

Some of the employees will be paid by their employers, with financial support from the province. The tourism and hospitality businesses are reaching out to, and training, workers who have been laid off due to the pandemic.

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“British Columbians have risen to many challenges during this past year, with people and businesses finding new and innovative ways to support each other,” Premier John Horgan said.

“People who work in the hard-hit tourism and hospitality sector have answered the call to help with B.C.’s immunization plan. This partnership will provide new jobs for people while contributing to B.C.’s already accelerated vaccine rollout.”

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Workers from these industries will provide logistical support as non-clinical staff at immunization clinics to help move people through the clinics efficiently and safely.

The province notes many of these workers bring additional language skills as well.

The workers will be coming from Air Canada, the B.C. Pavilion Corporation, Ceres Terminals Canada, the Canadian Red Cross, the Fraser Valley Bandits, Pacific Destinations Services, the Pacific National Exhibition, Tourism Whistler, the Vancouver Canucks, the Vancouver Giants, the Vancouver International Airport and WestJet.

Municipal venue owners are also helping operate some clinics with contributions of staff, furniture and supplies.

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Under B.C.’s accelerated immunization timeline, everyone in the province who is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine will now be able to receive a first dose before July 1, 2021.

The mass-immunization clinics are starting to open up across the province and are expected to up and running across the province by April. There are many clinics currently operating.

“Since day one of our immunization program, we have been committed to tapping into the knowledge and expertise of our community partners,”  B.C.’s immunization plan rollout executive lead Dr. Penny Ballem said.

“It takes a whole village to help implement this immunization effort, and we are proud to work with business and industry leaders and community organizations in every sector, along with municipalities to get vaccines to people in B.C. quickly and efficiently.”