It’s official – Niagara Regional Council passes vaccination policy

Niagara Regional Council has mandated that all staff, including councillors, must be fully vaccinated.

At last night’s (August 26) council meeting, they passed a motion, creating a COVID-19 vaccination policy for staff.

“With the arrival of the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19, ensuring as many individuals as possible receive a vaccination is crucial,” council said in a release.

“Current studies show that unvaccinated individuals are at the greatest risk of both becoming infected and spreading the virus, while also being 29 times more likely to be hospitalized with complications.”

The staff vaccination policy will require all Regional staff to provide proof that they have received both doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine. Staff who cannot provide proof of full vaccination will be required to be tested regularly and provide those results.

Medical and human rights exemptions will be recognized and accommodated, but those staff will be required to regularly undergo testing under the new policy.

Later in the meeting, they also passed a motion calling on the Provincial and Federal government to create a universal proof-of-vaccination certificate program to help residents easily prove their vaccination status.

“As more private businesses and public organizations announce their intention to make proof of vaccination a requirement to gain access to facilities, a province and/or country-wide certificate program would provide an easy and convenient way for individuals to prove their current status,” they said.

Regional chair Jim Bradley said that the council not only had to set an example but also protect themselves and staff.

“As Regional Council, we have an obligation to provide a safe working environment for our staff. This policy not only goes a long way to make our work sites a safer place to be, it also sets an example for other employers to follow in the hopes of increasing vaccination rates,” said Bradley.

“Vaccines save lives and help avoid economic lockdowns – the motions passed tonight will help protect the health and safety of our community, while also playing a role in safeguarding Niagara’s economy”