Unvaccinated city staff won't have to pay for rapid testing
It was supposed to be a nudge toward getting the shot.
As of December 1, all City of Calgary workers refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 were supposed to start paying for their own rapid tests.
Instead they'll keep getting the tests for free.
That, after the police chief said free tests supplied by the province to agencies and businesses around Alberta will be given to unvaccinated staff once those testing kits are acquired.
"What's happened is this inequity that's created between unions," said Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek, "so when the other unions saw police offering it for their members, they came to the city manager and said this is unacceptable. How do you do this for one group of employees and not for another?"
Right now, the city has a vaccination rate among staff of 91.5 per cent. When you take out those who have medical or religious exemptions or are just waiting for a second dose just over 300 people are not vaccinated and don't intend to be.
The City of Calgary's municipal building. (Getty Images)
Christopher Collier is the city's Director of Environmental and Safety Management.
"The free test kits do have an expiry date." he says "So we've basically just extended that free period for a little bit longer. But there will come a day when we don't have any more supply."
Collier says the city has a two to three month supply of surplus tests, so for the near future they will continue to use them for unvaccinated staff.
INCENTIVE TO GET VACCINATED
However critics say forcing people to pay for their own tests was an incentive for them to get vaccinated.
Now that incentive is gone.
Alberta Health, which is providing the testing kits to municipalities, said it's not up to them to decide how the tests are used or distributed.
"This government likes to talk a tough game, but when actually they're put to the test, they usually turn tail and run," said NDP deputy leader Sarah Hoffman. "This is serious, and it has potentially deadly consequences when it continues to fluctuate like this, when we should be putting all our efforts into increasing uptake for vaccines for all age groups."
The province says it's not concerned about running out of tests. It says right now it's giving out six million of them and has another six million in storage.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.