(Listen to announcement above)
Federal public servants in the core public administration must be fully vaccinated by October 29th.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland made the announcement at a press conference today, alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Freeland says this will apply to the government’s core departments including those in correctional services, the RCMP, the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canada Border Services Agency among other agencies and offices. Freeland says those who aren’t vaccinated or won’t disclose their vaccination status will be placed on administrative leave without pay as early as November 15th with enforcement measures in place after that.
Freeland says the government is working with employers in federally regulated workplaces to ensure vaccination is a priority and is encouraging crown corporations to do the same.
Freeland maintains these measures will help avoid lockdowns.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced mandatory vaccination for travel. He says by the end of October, all people aged 12 or older on a train or plane within Canada must be vaccinated. Trudeau says there will be a short period when people can show a negative COVID-19 test, but by the end of November, he says testing will no longer be an option before boarding, adding there will only be a few ‘extremely narrow’ exceptions, like a medical condition.
The PM says they will also introduce legislation to make it a criminal offence to to threaten or harass healthcare workers.