Three employees with the City of Cambridge have been placed on unpaid leave after refusing to comply with the city's vaccine mandate, which requires employees to provide proof they are fully vaccinated against COVID, or submit to regular testing and eduction on the benefits of vaccination.
The city says 88.32 per cent of its 882 active staff is fully vaccinated, which means they've had at least two doses and are 14 days from their last dose.
That leaves 103 city employees who aren't fully vaccinated.
The city's vaccine policy, endorsed by council and closely aligned with other policies implemented across the region, requires all staff to provide verification of full COVID vaccination.
Staff who are not vaccinated, or choose not to disclose their vaccination status, will be required to undergo mandatory education on the benefits of COVID vaccination, as well as participate in twice-weekly rapid antigen testing prior to reporting to the workplace. Medical and/or Ontario Human Rights Code exemptions are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
The frequency of regular rapid antigen testing is twice a week. The frequency may change depending on scheduling and operational requirements.
The city says it has been committed to taking every reasonable precaution to protect employees and the community from the threats of COVID and its vaccination policy is designed to maximize COVID vaccination rates among its employees.
Full vaccination has been shown to be effective in reducing COVID virus transmission and protecting vaccinated individuals from severe consequences of COVID, including the Delta variant currently circulating in Ontario.
All new City of Cambridge employees will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID as a condition of being hired by the city.
