The city of Nanaimo says all its employees and any workers hired under contract, such as instructors, must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 10.
Unvaccinated staff will be allowed to continue working between Jan. 10 and Feb. 6, provided they take part in a rapid-testing program. Nanaimo will cover the costs of rapid testing until Feb. 6, but after that, unvaccinated staff members must bear the cost of regular testing themselves, the city said in a statement Tuesday.
That includes the cost of testing kits, the cost to perform a test on a worker, and the cost of an external testing service.
Any staff member without proof of vaccination who refuses to take part in the rapid-testing program will be put on immediate unpaid leave of absence, the city says. They will be allowed to come back to work if they provide proof of vaccination or agree to pay for rapid testing.
Mayor Leonard Krog said council supports the administration’s vaccination policy to protect employees and residents.
All Nanaimo council members are fully vaccinated, he said.
Nanaimo’s vaccine mandate follows those of a number of other Island municipalities, including the City of Victoria, which announced on Nov. 2 that all its staff must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 5.
