Nearly 100 per cent of Georgina town staff fully vaccinated

Georgina’s vaccine mandate now extends to newly hired employees

Yorkregion.com
Dec. 10, 2021
Amanda Persico

Earlier this year, Georgina, along with many other municipalities, made vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory among staff.

About 98 per cent of town staff, which includes full- and part-time employees, volunteer firefighters and seasonal or sessional staff, are fully vaccinated, said town spokesperson Tanya Thompson.

Accommodations were made for town staff with valid medical or other human rights-based exemptions, she added.

And all newly hired employees, as of Nov. 1, must be fully vaccinated.

Town council is in the process of creating a vaccine policy statement.

Staff who were not fully vaccinated by Nov. 1 have been off work, either using available accumulated time off or off without pay, Thompson added.

Employees are able to return to work after their final dose while undertaking regular COVID-19 testing until they are considered fully vaccinated.

Starting Jan. 1, those who are not fully vaccinated will face disciplinary action, Thompson added.

As of Nov. 1, about 4,300 or about 92 per cent of York Regional staff were fully vaccinated, said Patrick Casey, the region’s spokesperson.

Workers who failed to comply with the region’s mandatory vaccine policy were placed on unpaid leave. Any employee who does not provide proof of vaccination by Jan. 3 will be terminated, Casey added.