@Asia Metro News Reporter:
While employers grapple with vaccination efforts across Ontario, Peel Public Health is pushing for greater involvement for workplace safety. The Region said Wednesday that it would publicly ask for workplaces to update their policy for COVID-19 vaccination — while also suggesting that if the province doesn’t step up with a vaccine passport program, it would look into instituting one of its own.
“Peel Public Health is also actively exploring with other public health units what could be done locally on a vaccine certificate program absent a provincial solution,” Peel’s medical officer of health, Dr. Lawrence Loh, said during a news conference in Brampton Wednesday morning, with the intent that such a program would “protect” unvaccinated residents by limiting their exposure to “higher-risk” situations.
Among the steps requested, the region also asked workplaces to discuss workers’ vaccination status with them; “outline actions for unvaccinated workers,” such as proof of vaccination or medical exemptions; and risk assessment measures in the event of an outbreak.
The request came as Mississauga councillors held a closed-session meeting Wednesday morning to receive a report outlining possible steps to implement a vaccination plan for City employees and volunteers, though specifics of the program were not revealed as of Wednesday evening. “It’s been asked for by almost every medical person in the province, it’s been asked for by the boards of trade and the chambers of commerce… I think it’s important that we officially endorse this as a council,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie after the closed session.
The potential vaccination plan for Mississauga was expected to be discussed Thursday morning during a press conference.
