The Edmonton public school division announced Monday it is mandating COVID-19 vaccination for its staff.
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The Edmonton Public School Board is requiring all employees be fully vaccinated. Employees have until mid-October to confidentially disclose their vaccination status to the division.
Those who are not fully vaccinated and have not received an exemption from the division will have to provide a negative COVID-19 test every 72 hours.
“From late October to Dec. 17, the division will coordinate and pay for this testing through a third party provider.
“After Dec. 17, employees who choose to remain unvaccinated will be required to cover this testing at their own expense,” the board said in a news release.
The province announced last week that its public sector employees would have to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
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Alberta Health Services also made the decision to require all its employees to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 31.
“We have a responsibility to provide learning and working environments that are as safe as possible,” said Supt. Darrel Robertson. “We’ve heard from health officials and our chief medical officer of health that being fully immunized against COVID-19 is one of the most effective ways we can protect ourselves and others.
“We’re confident this is a step in the right direction to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
If they choose not to be tested, they would be essentially choosing to go on unpaid leave, Robertson said.
The division will consider individual employee requests for exemption from the vaccination requirement based on protected grounds under the Alberta Human Rights Act.
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The vaccination requirement includes all staff, including tenants, volunteers, custodial and maintenance staff.
The division’s vaccination requirement does not apply to students.
— More to come…