‘This provides an additional layer of protection for workers’
The British Columbian government has issued a November deadline for public service workers’ vaccinations ahead of expected workplace return later in the fall. The mandate covers 30,000 employees, who’re all required to get fully vaccinated by November 22, according to the BC Public Service Agency.
The agency said in a statement that the deadline gives unvaccinated workers sufficient time to get the jabs. Exemptions to the rule are still under consideration, and accommodations for them will be made public in early November. No consequences for non-compliance have been detailed in the announcement. Those working in core government or ministry roles will be asked to present proof of full vaccination using the province's BC Vaccine Card. The mandate comes as the government gears up for the return of public service workers in the fall.
"This provides an additional and reassuring layer of protection for workers who are continuing the vital work of serving British Columbians," said the government in a media release.
The recent rule expands the use of vaccine cards in the population - it was previously utilised when dining in at restaurants and attending indoor recreational events.
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Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, stressed the importance of using the vaccine card and the implications of refusing to be vaccinated.
"Choice is one thing, but choice has consequences,” said Henry as quoted by CBC. “And when those consequences you make are having effects on the rest of the community, then that has implications, and it means that you are restricted from doing certain things. And that's the point of the BC vaccine Card. It's to show people, to remind people that the choices they make have impacts on others.”
For long-term care workers
The provincial health officer also announced that long-term care workers and assisted living staff are required to get the jabs too. The mandate will be implemented on October 12, requiring covered workers to get the first dose on the said date and the second one 35 days after their initial jab. Those who fail to comply will be placed on a mandatory leave of absence without pay, according to the announcement reported by CBC.
Meanwhile, visitors to long-term care facilities will also need to present their BC Vaccine Cards in order to gain entry, CBC reported, adding that starting October 26, all health-care workers and visitors to acute care facilities will also need to show proof of vaccinations.
According to government data, 82.5% of eligible adults in British Columbia are fully immunised against COVID-19. Meanwhile, 81.7% of eligible people aged 12 and older have also received their second dose. There are 593 new cases of COVID-19 in the province, with 5,937 cases as of Tuesday.