The Government of Canada mandates vaccines for federal employees, urges others to follow suit. Government says more details to be finalized and released in coming days, including how to implement the requirement slated for “early fall.”
Ottawa has mandated that all federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The government expects employers in federally regulated industries to do the same, according to Dominic LeBlanc, president of the Privy Council.
Nearly 500,000 people work directly for the federal government, a Crown corporation, the military, or the RCMP.
Nearly a million more are employed in federally regulated industries such as banks and airlines.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a week ago that he had requested that the clerk of the Privy Council — the country’s top bureaucrat — consider the mandate.
According to Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, a vaccine requirement will be implemented by the fall.
By that date, passengers on commercial airlines, interprovincial trains, and cruise ships will also be required to be vaccinated.
According to Alghabra, the rules will aid Canada’s recovery from the pandemic.
“The majority of Canadians do not want to return to lockdowns. Canadians do not want to reintroduce travel restrictions. Canadians want to return to normalcy as soon as possible “He stated.
At the time of the last count, nearly 82% of Canadians aged 12 and up had received at least one dose of vaccine, with 70% fully vaccinated.
