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Businesses adapt to new rules. Long lines at MAEA for jabs
City mandates vaccines for employees
There was a vaccination clinic today at the Exhibition in Chatham. You could make an appointment, or you could just walk in and get vaccinated. The by appointment vaccinations went smoothly and the parking lot was full of cars at 5:30 pm. But they walk in clinic ran out of vaccinations in the afternoon, and the public was advised that another clinic was scheduled for September 28th.
Starting today there were new rules for restaurants and bars regarding admitting people. Patrons had to show a proof of vaccination coupled with a picture ID. There were also some restrictions for workers at bars and restaurants. We checked in on a few places today to see how it was going, and found some patrons and businesses were not prepared for the new mandate.
The Black Horse Tavern at 3 pm this afternoon reported that they turned away 15 customers for lack of a vaccination card and/or an id. City Limits Restaurant did not have staff that could work because of the new restrictions, and their lunch counter was closed today. The Miramichi Golf and Country Club experienced some disruption in service because of lack of staff for the same reasons. O'Donaghue's pub reported clients that were prepared for the requirements without any issues. Some servers did say that they felt the added responsibility of screening customers was unfair and stressful.
At a City Council meeting that took place last evening, City Manager Mike Noel outlined restrictions at indoor events at city facilities. MO))) received an email today requesting that I send my vaccination certificate to the Human Resources Dept at City Hall before anyone attends the next meeting. Noel said the city was following the lead of the province, and that the mandates were initially for public safety, but that they are as much for encouraging people to get vaccinated now as anything.
Anyone over 12 years old attending or participating in indoor events in city facilities will be required to wear a mask indoors and will be asked to show proof of vaccination and have ID. Organizations that are in charge of the events (like minor hockey as an example) will be in charge of overseeing the protocols. Transit users will also be required to wear a mask. Spectators at sporing events at the MVHS gym will not be permitted.
City employees will have to wear masks and will have to be vaccinated. Vaccination will be a requirement for new employees. Exemptions are as per the Human Rights guidelines, and the City encourages people to seek out only credible information about Covid-19 vaccines. The complete policy is below.
Scope - Who it affects
All employees, Mayor and Council Members
Definition
As used in this Policy, "Fully Vaccinated” means employees must have received their second dose (for two dose vaccines) or single dose (for single dose vaccines) of Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before returning to the worksite or attending other in-person business events or meetings. This definition is subject to change following applicable Canadian public health guidance.
Policy
Vaccination against COVID-19 provides the best available protection for everyone, including the City of Mirarichi employees (and their families). clients, and the broader community. Accordingly, subject to the exceptions in this Policy, all employees working for the City of Miramichi must be fully Vaccinated. This Policy serves as notice of that requirement.
All current employees are required to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated to Human Resources within one week of the implementation of this policy or as soon as they have been vaccinated for those not vaccinated. Vaccination providers will be familiar with the form and content of such confirmation.
Full vaccination against COVID-19 will be a condition of employment for newly hired City of Miramichi employees (except for those who provide a medical certificate of their exemption from the vaccine but will be required to follow the masking requirements).
This Policy comes into effect immediately and is subject to change from time to time.
Compliance
The safety of our employees and community members is our top priority. To ensure that everyone's health and safety is not compromised, employees who fail to comply with this Policy will be subject to disciplinary measures up to and including dismissal.
Supervisors are responsible to enforce this policy and ensuring that measures and procedures are followed by employees and that employees have all information they require in order to comply with this Policy
The Employer will, to the extent within our control, ensure that this policy is implemented, maintained, and updated in a timely fashion
Privacy
In administering this Policy, including dealing with employee information, the City of Miramichi will only collect information that is reasonably necessary and will limit disclosure of employee vaccination status and any surrounding medical information only to those who require this information for operational purposes and to administer this Policy. The Employer will implement appropriate protocols to guard the sensitivity of this information and will only retain such information for as long as necessary and in accordance with applicable laws.
Exemptions
In keeping with provincial guidelines, an exemption and resulting accommodation may be provided to employees who object to being vaccinated or cannot be vaccinated based on grounds protected by applicable human rights legislation. For example, employees who submit satisfactory medical documentation outlining a specific and recognized contraindication to a COVID-19 vaccine.
Any request for an exemption made by an employee shall be submitted in writing within two weeks of the implementation of this policy and shall include all supporting documentation
Employees who object to being vaccinated or are exempt are required to wear a mask in the workplace and to follow Public Health guidelines.
Resources
The Employer understands employees may have questions about the vaccine and suggests employees take steps to educate themselves both on the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine. COVID-19 vaccines are being held to the same rigorous safety standards as all other vaccines and authorities are unanimous that the COVID-19 vaccine is a highly effective and necessary tool in building immunity against Covid-19 and limiting its transmission.
Understanding there are various sources of information about Covid-19 vaccines, everyone is encouraged to rely on credible sources of information such as Canada Public Health.
