As Peel Region pushes for a 90 per cent double vaccination rate in its residents, the City of Mississauga announced Wednesday that it hit the same target for its employee workforce, based on preliminary data. The city announced the milestone Wednesday evening, in tandem with associated statements by regional representatives, made earlier in the day, noting that the region needs approximately 180,000 doses need to be delivered to hit the same number.
“More than half of the City of Mississauga employees have been on the front lines of COVID-19 delivering essential services to the community,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “I am hopeful that when all the data is in, the number will be on par with the Region of Peel’s two-dose coverage in our community.”
Currently, the city employs more than 6,000 staff members across full-, part-time, construct and seasonal positions. Employees who are unvaccinated, by choice or consequence, will be required to take a mandatory “education session” on the benefits of being vaccinated, along with regular virus testing at their own expense from Nov. 1 onwards, the city said in a statement.
The city had previously instituted a vaccination policy on Sep. 27, which required active city employees to disclose their status by Oct. 15. According to city officials, there are still many employees who have not disclosed their status, and the final number for the vaccination rate may change.
The region’s medical officer of health, Dr. Lawrence Loh, said last week during a press conference in Brampton that residents should “continue to push our coverage higher,” said Loh, while speaking at the Oct. 15 presser for Brampton. The city will continue to adopt policies and procedures to align with the current public health measures, said city manager Paul Mitcham
