Toronto Mayor John Tory announced that all city of Toronto employees will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
With the health and safety of residents, staff and the community key priorities for the city, this new policy demonstrates a commitment to taking every precaution to protect staff and visitors in city workplaces from COVID-19. The full policy is being finalized now and will be made public in the coming days.
The city announced that all members of the Toronto Public Service will be required to disclose and provide proof of vaccination status by Sept. 13. Staff who have not been vaccinated or who do not disclose their vaccination status by Sept. 13 will be required to attend mandatory education on the benefits of vaccination. These unvaccinated individuals will then need to provide proof of first dose no later than Sept. 30.
"This is about ensuring the city of Toronto – your municipal government funded with your tax dollars – is doing everything it can to encourage vaccination and protect our workers," said Mayor Tory. "Our end goal is to encourage and persuade people to get vaccinated, if they haven’t already, so our city workplaces – which includes many public places – are as safe as possible for them and for the people we serve. I encourage all of our employees who aren’t vaccinated and who are eligible to be vaccinated, not to wait. Please do the right thing now and get vaccinated. It will help better protect you, your coworkers and your loved ones.”
As of Oct. 30, all city staff will be required to have received their first and second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. The city will comply with its human rights obligations and accommodate employees who are legally entitled to accommodation.
The city has continually encouraged all staff to get vaccinated as soon they were eligible, and allows employees to go to vaccination appointments during work hours, where operationally feasible.
The city says public health guidance demonstrates that vaccines provide a high level of protection against COVID-19 and related variants. Toronto Public Heath recently reported that since May 1, 2021, those who are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated make up 98.7 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 cases.
The city, as an employer, has an obligation under Ontario law to take all necessary precautions to protect its workers. As the largest employer in Toronto, the city says it is also taking a leadership role in making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for its workforce. Agencies and corporations of the city will be encouraged to do the same in order to protect their employees and the public they serve.
Toronto Transit Commission CEO Rick Leary released the following statement after Mayor Tory's announcement:
"As of Sept. 13, COVID-19 vaccinations will be mandatory for all TTC employees, contractors and students. This is in response to the increase in evidence around the transmissibility of the Delta variant and based on the recent actions taken by the city of Toronto.
"The TTC has been a leader throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to safety and has already taken numerous steps to keep the system clean and safe. This is one more thing we can do for ourselves and each other to limit the spread of COVID-19.
"Similar to other settings with mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies, individuals will be required to provide proof of full-vaccination against COVID-19 or a medical reason for not being vaccinated against COVID-19. This policy, and other operational details are currently being finalized, and will be available by the end of August," Leary concluded.
