LNG Canada announces mandatory vaccine policy

LNGCanada says it will require all of its employees to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 30.

The energy consortium says it made the decision on the advice of B.C.'s provincial health officer, and to meet travel requirements announced by the federal government Wednesday.

LNG Canada says while the order only applies to itsemployees, it is recommending contractors to adopt the same policy.

More than 4,000 people are employed inthe LNG Canada worksite near Kitimat, B.C., but the company did not clarify how many are direct employees impacted by the policy and how many are contractors.

The company'smain contractor,JGC Fluor, has not announced any changes to its vaccination policy.

On Tuesday, Dr. Bonnie Henry said she had written to all major industrial employers in the province recommending they implement a mandatory vaccine policy.

"Absolutely, yes," she said when asked by a reporter if B.C. Hydro should implement a mandatory vaccine policy at the Site C dam project, where a COVID-19 outbreak currently has 52 workers in isolation.

"[Work camps] are contributing to some of the surge that we're seeing in communities ... particularly in congregate living settings in industrial camps."

The Northern Health region of B.C. which includesLNG Canada's facilities, theSite C dam, as well as the Coastal GasLink pipeline is currently reporting new cases of COVID-19 at more than four times the provincial average, with hospitalizationsmore than double that of other regions.

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