New Brunswick drops COVID-19 vaccine requirement for most government employees
CBC
New Brunswick has dropped its COVID-19 vaccination mandate for most employees, except those who work in health care and other vulnerable sectors, and is calling back those who qualify who were placed on unpaid leave five months ago.
"Vaccination will no longer be a condition of employment except for employees working in facilities of the regional health authorities, [Extra-Mural and] Ambulance NB and corrections which remain vulnerable sectors," Cheryl Hansen, clerk of the Executive Council and head of the public service, wrote in an email to provincial government employees Friday.
Those employees will remain on leave without pay until they have received two doses of a COVID vaccine.
The leave without pay for unvaccinated employees in all other settings, including schools, will end on March 28, she said.
As of Jan. 19, the latest figures available, 484 employees remained on indefinite leave without pay because they failed to provide proof of full vaccination or a medical exemption. They represented fewer than one per cent of the government's more than 58,000 employees.
With the lifting of all provincial COVID-19 restrictions Monday, the vaccination mandate has been under review.
The amended policy also applies to volunteers, onsite vendors, suppliers and contractors, according to the memo.
Government officials did not respond to a request for comment, but subsequently issued a news release shortly before 5 p.m. with wording almost identical to Hansen's email.
It says the government will "reassess" maintaining the policy in the vulnerable sectors by the end of March.
Full vaccination remains a condition of employment for current and new employees in nursing homes and adult residential facilities licensed by the Department of Social Development, it specifies.
Treasury Board spokesperson Erika Jutras previously said any decisions about changes to the policy would be made by cabinet and the COVID cabinet committee after receiving a recommendation from Public Health.
People's Alliance Leader Kris Austin applauded the decision, saying it's "the right thing to do."
"Other provinces have already removed the vaccination requirements for employees and it's time for New Brunswick to do the same," he said in a statement.
"We know that vaccinations protect individuals from becoming severely ill with COVID-19 but we also know that it has little to no effect on transmission. We know vaccinated individuals have become infected and have transmitted the virus to others."
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