Hamilton council to discuss scrapping COVID-19 vaccine policy for city staff

The City of Hamilton may drop its policy that makes the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for all of its employees.

City councillors are expected to discuss Wednesday a recommendation from senior city staff to scrap the requirement for employees to show proof of two doses of the vaccine or agree to weekly testing.

Staff who are unvaccinated had the option to test twice per week. Those who refused were placed on unpaid leave and were expected to be fired by June 1.

If the motion passes at the city council meeting Wednesday, those employees would return to work the first week of May and the testing requirement would end at the same time.

However, the motion does recommend that long-term care, child care centres and paramedics keep their policies. All new hires should still be required to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19, according to the recommendation.

The city says 94 percent of their employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Currently, 441 city employees are unvaccinated but testing twice per week. Another 64 employees are on unpaid leave.

CHCH News requested an interview with senior city staff. The city declined to do an interview but said in a written statement “ensuring high rates of vaccination remains one of the most important ways we can protect everyone. Equally important is that the city retains the flexibility to respond to changes in the environment and ongoing public health guidance to continue to provide a measured and reasonable response within the circumstances.”

The city council meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.