TDSB to make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for staff, trustees and visitors
Canada’s largest public school board has voted unanimously to make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for staff, trustees and visitors.
The Toronto District School Board made the announcement on Thursday morning, saying its trustees voted in favour of a mandatory policy at last night’s school board meeting.
The school board says it’s now in the hands of TDSB staff to come up with a plan on how it will work. Staff will develop a procedure for all workers, trustees, and visitors. They all must be fully vaccinated, and will be required to disclose and provide proof of their vaccination status.
“Staff will now have to develop this procedure and the key word is mandatory, it would apply to not only TDSB staff but trustees and visitors,” TDSB Spokesperson Ryan Bird said Thursday morning.
“They would be required to not only disclose and provide proof of vaccination, but then upload potentially the certificate that you receive upon that second dose.”
The board says it aims to have the procedure implemented prior to schools reopening on Sept. 9.
It is not yet clear what will happen to people who refuse vaccination, but Bird said that staff will establish those details in the upcoming plan, which is currently being worked on.
“We received this direction from trustees just last night, and now the procedure has to be developed,” Bird said. “There are legal implications, there are staffing implications, there are a number of implications so depending on that … that’s what staff are looking at.”
He said staff are also working on what information will be publically available on the vaccination status of TDSB workers, and the role of COVID-19 testing in the plan.
The Ontario government has previously said that it would enact a policy that would require educational workers to either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or participate in a regular rapid testing program, however, schools boards are able to decide how they would like to enforce their own mandatory vaccination policy.
The school board noted in a news release on Thursday that people who are not vaccinated would be required first to attend a mandatory education session on the benefits of the vaccine.
“[The plan will address] a schedule for dates by which point any unvaccinated individuals must disclose if they have received first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccines,” the release stated. “TDSB will comply with its human rights obligations and accommodate employees who are legally entitled to accommodation.”
The new rules will apply to all visitors, including parents wanting to enter the school buildings. Last year, due to the pandemic, parents were not allowed to enter schools at all.
“The data is clear — being fully vaccinated significantly reduces the risks of the most serious outcomes of COVID-19,” TDSB Chair Alexander Brown said.
This is an important step to ensure we are making our schools and workplaces as safe as possible for staff and students — particularly younger students who are not eligible to receive the vaccine.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.