At least 1,000 City of Toronto employees are unvaccinated ahead of mandatory mandate taking effect
More than 1,000 City of Toronto employees are unvaccinated and thousands of others are yet to complete a disclosure form ahead of a new vaccination policy taking effect later this month.
The City of Toronto says that 88 per cent of those who filled out a vaccine disclosure form as of Friday – nearly 24,000 employees - were fully vaccinated with another five per cent partially vaccinated.
But it says that about eight per cent were either unvaccinated (1,006 employees) or refused to disclose their status (783 employees).
The City of Toronto has said that all of its employees must receive at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 30 and be fully vaccinated by Oct. 30.
“I am encouraged that such a high number of city employees have already made the right decision for themselves, our community and our workplaces by getting vaccinated. This policy is the right thing to do to protect the health and safety of all City of Toronto employees,” Mayor John Tory said in a press release accompanying the data. “We know that vaccines are the most effective way to protect against the fourth wave and Delta variant so we can end this pandemic and reopen our city."
City of Toronto employees had until Friday to complete a mandatory disclosure form on their vaccine status after the deadline was pushed back by a week amind concerns that some frontline workers without access to computers needed more time.
The city says that about 87 per cent of employees met the revised deadline.
However roughly 3,500 employees still haven’t submitted the disclosure form, leaving some questions around just how many workers are likely to run afoul of the new policy.
The city has said that all employees who are not complaint will have to complete a mandatory training session on vaccines “starting this week.”
At this point it remains unclear what will happen to employees who choose to remain unvaccinated past Sept. 30 but Tory has said that ‘no option will be off the table’ when it comes to enforcing the policy.
“The City of Toronto has a duty as an employer to do everything that it can to ensure that our work environment is safe for all of our employees,” he said at a news conference announcing the policy last month.
The city previously announced plans earlier this month to have some of its roughly 10,000 employees that have been working at home since the beginning of the pandemic begin to return to their workplaces as part of a “safe and gradual” return.
The TTC is also mandating vaccination for its employees but has given employees until the end of today to disclose their status.
About 84.5 per cent of eligible Toronto residents have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and nearly 79 per cent are fully vaccinated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
New analysis of Beethoven's hair reveals possible cause of mysterious ailments, scientists say
High levels of lead detected in authenticated locks of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair suggest that the composer had lead poisoning, which may have contributed to ailments he endured over the course of his life, including deafness, according to new research.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
B.C. man used Bobcat as 'weapon' while chasing away homeless people, judge says
A B.C. man has been convicted of assault with a weapon after using a skid-steer Bobcat to chase two homeless people from his lawn, injuring one of them in the process.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.