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City of Burlington Update to Vaccination Policies for Volunteers & Staff

“Vaccination policies for our City staff and volunteers have been flexible throughout the pandemic — changing as needed to respond to health indicators and advice from health officials. Based on the current situation, and in keeping with advice from the Medical Officer of Health and the Province, in lifting requirements to show proof of vaccination in certain settings, we are modifying our policy once again. City volunteers won’t be required to show proof of vaccinations, and City staff (with the exception of the fire department, due to the nature of the job) have the choice of vaccination or testing.” – Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

*Please see below a news release issued by the City of Burlington.

Burlington, Ont. — March 23, 2022 — Further to City Council decision yesterday, the City’s COVID-19 Volunteer Vaccination Policy has been repealed. This means that volunteers, when accessing City facilities and taking part in City activities, will not be required to show proof of vaccination. This decision aligns with the Province of Ontario’s announced changes to provincial regulations and easing of restrictions, including its lifting of vaccine passport requirements as of March 1 along with removing capacity limits in all remaining indoor public settings.

With provincial changes announced, City staff have been reviewing all policies that are directly linked to, or based on, provincial regulations. On March 14, 2022, the City of Burlington COVID-19 Staff Vaccination Policy was amended; staff that are not vaccinated will continue to have the option to test (Fire Department staff excluded). The decision to amend the COVID-19 Staff Vaccination Policy was done in light of the evolving pandemic situation and messages from the Chief Medical Officer of Health regarding workplace vaccination policies. In addition, the Province of Ontario lifting its vaccine passport requirements and remaining capacity limits factored into this COVID-19 Staff Vaccination Policy amendment.

Passive screening for the public visiting City facilities will continue to be in place. Members of the public who wish to continue to wear their mask in City facilities are welcome to do so and we ask the public be patient and kind with one another and staff as we move through these changes together. Daily active screening of City employees and source control masking will remain in place for City staff.

“The City’s vaccination policies are one of many measures put in place that were necessary to prevent serious illness and potential loss of life; to protect our hospitals and healthcare systems from being overwhelmed; and to make every attempt to blunt the spread of the coronavirus. Thank you to all City staff for their efforts to support improved outcomes not only for our workplace but for our community and local health care organizations.” – Tim Commisso, City Manager, City of Burlington

Quick Facts:

In October 2021, the COVID-19 Volunteer Vaccination Policy was implemented
On September 8, 2021, a COVID-19 vaccination policy for City staff was approved by the Burlington Leadership Team. Subsequent changes to the COVID-19 policy for staff required that all staff had to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by May 1, 2022, in order to work at the City. The change in the policy, which removed the option for frequent testing, was approved in Jan. 5, 2022
On March 14, 2022, the City of Burlington COVID-19 Staff Vaccination Policy was amended; staff that are not vaccinated will continue to have the option to test (Fire Department staff excluded).

For more information on the City’s COVID-19 response, visit burlington.ca/coronavirus For more information on what to expect at City facilities, visit burlington.ca/coronavirusfaq

COVID-19 Resources:

For information about COVID-19 in Halton Region, including the latest public health guidance and the status of COVID-19 cases, please visit halton.ca/coronavirus
Community questions and requests regarding City of Burlington services can be directed to Service Burlington by phone at 905-335-7777, by email at city@burlington.ca or online
Residents can stay informed at burlington.ca/coronavirus as well as on our social media channels: @cityburlington on Twitter and facebook.com/cityburlington
Government of Ontario: ontario.ca/coronavirus
Government of Canada: canada.ca/coronavirus
World Health Organization: who.int
Joseph Brant Hospital: josephbranthospital.ca/covid-19
Team Burlington (Burlington’s business organizations)

RELATED LINKS:

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*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor’s Media and Digital Communications Specialist

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