in a statement wednesday, duckworth said the city’s policy will protect employees while ensuring the continued delivery of city services.
“vaccines are proven to be safe and effective to prevent the spread of covid-19. this policy is intended to maximize vaccination rates among city employees,” duckworth said. “with covid-19 cases on the rise at an alarming rate, this is the responsible thing to do as public servants.”
the city’s plan is similar to the one announced by the alberta government last week that
requires provincial public service employees to be fully vaccinated
or submit to regular testing. provincial employees who refuse to get vaccinated will not be let go, but will be placed on unpaid leave if they do not want to be tested.
city employees who refuse to provide proof of vaccination or to submit to regular testing will also be placed on a leave of absence, the city said wednesday, and could be subject to disciplinary action, including dismissal.
in a tweet on wednesday evening, the calgary police service confirmed that sworn officers will also be subject to the vaccination policy alongside other municipal employees.
there had been questions about whether cps would take the same approach to vaccination as other city departments since the conduct of sworn officers is governed under separate legislation.