MD OF BIGHORN – The MD of Bighorn is exploring its options for a COVID-19 vaccination policy for municipal staff.
Council directed the municipality’s senior leadership to prepare a policy to be in place as early as January.
The policy, if it is ultimately approved by council, would include all municipal employees.
“I do believe we need a policy in place for the safety of our staff and volunteers, including firefighters and committee members,” said Robert Ellis, the MD of Bighorn’s CAO.
Ellis highlighted how all municipal staff are fully vaccinated, while the majority of part-time firefighters have also received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
He added any policy would still have to be worked out with legal representation for the MD of Bighorn, but that information from Alberta Health Services (AHS) has shown the vaccine to offer protection from COVID-19.
“People have a right to not get vaccinated. I will not argue with that, but if they’re going to interact with the people who are, and I’ve seen the stats coming from AHS in the hospitals right now, there’s a massive majority of people who are in hospital who did not get vaccinated,” Ellis said.
“A smaller amount have one vaccination and a very small amount have had two vaccinations. There’s definitely a trend that people who are not vaccinated can be more susceptible to getting COVID.”
If not vaccinated, people would have to show a medical exemption or receive a negative result on a rapid test within the previous 72 hours, as per AHS public health regulations.
Though Bighorn council doesn’t meet until the second week of January, Ellis said a special meeting could be held to potentially move forward with the policy.
Municipal staff have been largely working remotely, but were brought back to the office in September. However, they returned to remote work about a week after.
In the Bow Valley, the municipalities of Banff and Canmore have already instituted a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for staff.
Town of Banff employees had until Sept. 23 to get vaccinated or lose their jobs. The Town parted ways with fewer than a handful of people who refused to get vaccinated.
Full-time and part-time staff with the Town of Canmore had until Oct. 1 to let human resources know about their vaccine status, while the mandate was issued on Oct. 14. Employees were required to have a first dose by Oct. 26 and a second prior to Dec. 7, with fewer than a handful rejecting the vaccine and being placed on unpaid leave.
“The health and safety of our employees and volunteers is critical to maintain operational effectiveness in the face of continued pandemic,” an MD of Bighorn staff report stated.
“As the MD moves toward resuming in-person meetings with council and committees in 2022, the protection of our employees and volunteers from serious illness resulting from COVID-19 and variants is a priority for administration.”
