City of Calgary mandating vaccines for employees

CALGARY – All City of Calgary employees will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the city has announced.

The city says safety is paramount, and with a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections in the city, it’s decided to make vaccines mandatory for its staff.

“As the second-largest employer in Calgary, the city has a duty to ensure that our workplaces are safe for both employees and citizens accessing city services, while also modeling for Calgarians the role every individual plays in ensuring the safety of others,” said City Manager David Duckworth in a release.

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“We must take this leadership role at this critical time to do our part to mitigate the impacts of COVID on our staff, our operations, and the citizens who depend on us every day. It’s simply the right thing to do.”

The city says anyone who is unable to be vaccinated will be reasonably accommodated.

Unvaccinated employees will be made to undergo regular COVID-19 rapid testing. Those who refuse could be fired.

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Workers will have to have at least one vaccine by Sept. 13. Full immunization is expected by the end of October.