Close X
Thursday, January 9, 2025
ADVT 
National

B.C. to drop COVID-19 vaccine requirement

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Mar, 2023 03:12 PM
  • B.C. to drop COVID-19 vaccine requirement

VICTORIA - British Columbia is rescinding its policy that required provincial public servants to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The province says that from April 3, BC Public Service employees will no longer be required to provide proof of vaccination.

The Ministry of Finance says in a statement the decision to rescind the policy was made "based on the high level of vaccination among public-service employees and the current state of the pandemic."

It says more than 98 per cent of employees met the requirement.

The statement says ending the policy means "a small number" of employees on administrative leave due to non-compliance will get the chance to come back to work.

The government says people are still required to be vaccinated if they work in settings under provincial health officer orders or other vaccination requirements and vaccine mandates remain in place in "highest-risk" settings like health-care facilities.

"The vaccination requirement for public-service employees, introduced in November 2021, was always intended as a temporary measure to help protect employees and the people they serve," the statement says.

It adds that vaccination "continues to be the best protection against severe illness with COVID-19 for individuals, including children and youth, and has helped protect B.C.'s health-care system and the economy."

Stephanie Smith, president of the BC General Employees' Union, says the union has requested a meeting with the BC Public Service Agency to discuss the change and ensure all members received "equitable treatment" under the now-rescinded policy.

“From the beginning of the pandemic, BCGEU members have demanded clarity on how employers’ decisions affect us and our working lives," she says in a statement. "Our union has a number of questions about how this change will impact our members."

MORE National ARTICLES

Fortin found not guilty in sexual assault case

Fortin found not guilty in sexual assault case
Fortin was the military officer in charge of the federal government's COVID-19 vaccine rollout until May 2021, but he was removed from that position after the allegation came to light.

Fortin found not guilty in sexual assault case

Permanent residents can apply to join Armed Forces

Permanent residents can apply to join Armed Forces
Permanent residents can now apply to join the Canadian Armed Forces, regardless of whether they have been trained by a foreign military. It's the latest effort by Canada's military to boost recruitment numbers, which are lagging well behind the target of adding 5,900 new members by March.

Permanent residents can apply to join Armed Forces

Vancouver has Chinese ‘police station’: report

Vancouver has Chinese ‘police station’: report
Safeguard Defenders - a not-for-profit human rights group - says two of the new locations are in Canada: one in Vancouver and the second unknown. The group's previous report alleges employees from the overseas police system use intimidation and threats to enforce the “involuntary" return of immigrants back to China for persecution.

Vancouver has Chinese ‘police station’: report

B.C. urges flu vaccines for children as cases rise

B.C. urges flu vaccines for children as cases rise
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says after two years of low rates of flu, mostly due to travel restrictions, the province is seeing a "dramatic increase" in illness and it arrived sooner than normal.

B.C. urges flu vaccines for children as cases rise

BC Assessment warns values up but not current

BC Assessment warns values up but not current
BC Assessment says in a statement that most owners can expect to see a five to 15 per cent rise in values when notices are issued Jan. 3. However, it says those figures are based on the real estate market as of July 1, 2022, and conditions have changed.  

BC Assessment warns values up but not current

Delta, B.C., mayor wants road snow removal review

Delta, B.C., mayor wants road snow removal review
Delta Mayor George Harvie says some drivers from Delta were stranded in their cars for up to 10 hours, while those in other parts of the region have told media that 45-minute commutes turned into 12 hours of gridlock.

Delta, B.C., mayor wants road snow removal review