City of Calgary to require all staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19

The City of Calgary will require all staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 18.

In a release, the city saidanyone who can't be immunized due to a medical reason or "for other protected grounds under the Alberta Human Rights Act" will be reasonably accommodated.Those employees must undergo mandatory rapid testing.

"As the second largest employer in Calgary, the city has a duty to ensure that our workplaces are safe for both employees andcitizens accessing city services, while also modelling for Calgarians the role every individual plays in ensuring the safety of others," said David Duckworth, the city's manager, in the release.

"We must take this leadership roleat this critical time to do our part to mitigate the impacts of COVID on our staff, our operations and thecitizens who depend on usevery day. It's simply the right thing to do."

City staff who don't comply could be fired. Further details in regards to the policy, including how staff will disclose their vaccination status and who may be considered for exemptions, are yet to be finalized.

The city previously postponed plans to bring city employees back from home-based work on Sept. 15,moving the target date to Oct. 20.