The City of Lethbridge has announced it will be mandating full COVID-19 vaccination for staff by mid-November as a way to protect the health and safety of its employees.
The city joins others like Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Toronto in taking this step.
“I am pleased to see that we are moving towards mandatory vaccinations for city staff,” said Mayor Chris Spearman in a Tuesday news release. “We know the seriousness of the COVID situation in Alberta and we need to be doing everything we can to keep our community safe.”
Previously, the city took steps toward a mandatory rapid testing program. However, it was determined that approach was too prohibitive.
City manager Craig Dalton said some departments such as fire & EMS, ENMAX Centre and airport staff are already mandated to receive the vaccine due to provincial and federal policies, and this protocol will create consistency for all departments.
“We just think it’s very important for our organization to take this step at this point,” Dalton said.
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“We’ve been consistently looking, as we’ve moved through this, looking at the impact on (staff), and also the public and trying to make informed decisions as we move along.”
Those who do not abide by the policy will be dealt with individually to determine the appropriate course of action.
“We fully expect there will be some individuals who won’t support this approach,” Dalton admitted.
“The intent of this policy is not to terminate staff, the intent of this policy is to move toward mandatory vaccination,” he continued. “But we will deal with those on a case-by-case basis, respectfully.”
According to the city, out of 1,800 employees, around half have responded to a survey sent out last week—with approximately 95 per cent of those saying they are already vaccinated.