In the final weeks of September, Waterloo Region education workers made a vaccination push, surpassing the area average of those fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
On Sept. 15, the region’s boards were required by the province to post vaccination rates among school board staff, as well as those working for companies affiliated with schools.
At that point, just 66.5 per cent of the Waterloo Region District School Board’s 9,851 trustees and employees said they were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with one person getting a medical pass.
By the end of September, 91.5 per cent indicated they were fully vaccinated. That’s higher than the 84.5 per cent of Waterloo Region residents who are now fully vaccinated.
There are still 738 people who have either not been vaccinated or not submitted the attestation.
For those who are not employed by the public school board but are still working in the school system such as bus drivers, only 67.8 per cent are fully vaccinated with supporting documentation. Another 13.1 per cent (253 people) say they are but haven’t provided the documentation.
The Waterloo Region Catholic District School Board updated their numbers on Monday with 90.7 per cent of its 3,737 employees having had two vaccine shots, as well as the two-week window that followed.
It says that 1.5 per cent of trustees and employees have yet to submit their attestation.
For those who work with the Catholic Board but not for it, 78 per cent are fully vaccinated — unchanged from the previous update. Everyone from this group has now attested as to their status.
Staff had until Sept. 7 to submit a formal attestation to their local school boards. Those who do work for the boards but are not employed by them, such as bus drivers, are also required to attest to their vaccination status.
A Catholic board spokesperson told Global News that those who have not yet submitted attestation will be treated as though they are unvaccinated.
According to The Canadian Press, deputy education minister Nancy Naylor issued a memo to school boards last month saying those who are unvaccinated will be required to be tested twice a week.
The memo said there should be three days between testing, which will be done at home. Tests should occur Monday and Thursday or Friday and Tuesday.
— with files from Canadian Press
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