Vast majority of City of Lethbridge employees fully immunized against COVID-19

Lethbridge's mandatory vaccination policy went into effect of November 15th, and city officials said they're happy to announce that the overwhelming majority of employees are now protected against COVID-19.

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. -

It's been roughly a month and a half since the City of Lethbridge announced its intention to implement a mandatory vaccination policy.

That went into effect of November 15^th, and city officials said they're happy to announce that the overwhelming majority of employees are now protected against COVID-19.

"Across the city, we have 95 per cent of city staff reporting their vaccination status, and of those 95 per cent, 96 per cent are fully vaccinated, or in the process of being fully vaccinated," said Jason Elliott, General Manager of People and Culture for the City of Lethbridge.

"We want to send a huge thank you out to all of our staff for doing their part to protect not only their own health but also the health and well being of their co-workers."

'In the process' means they've had at least one dose of a vaccine, or are still within the two week window after their second dose.

Those numbers mean roughly 88 city employees have not reported their vaccination status, and 67 people are not vaccinated.

"The policy does permit those who haven't been vaccinated to submit to rapid testing prior to every shift," said Elliott.

"We are shifting our attention to the small minority of folks who are providing rapid testing and/or are not responding to the request to provide vaccination status. Discipline is something that is perhaps on the table for some, but it is not the preference."

Unvaccinated employees will have to pay for those rapid tests themselves unless they have a doctor's note stating they can't receive the vaccine, or if they are granted a religious exemption.

Fire and EMS workers do not have to do daily rapid testing as they are required to be vaccinated through an Alberta Health Services contract.

For fire and EMS workers, 94.3 per cent of employees have reported their vaccination status and of those who have reported, 97.5 per cent are either fully vaccinated or in the process of doing so.

When it comes to the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS), 96.5 per cent have reported their status, and of that total, 92.3 per cent are fully immunized or in the process.

"We recognize and respect the choice of the individual employees here. So we will continue to work with those that have made the choice to do rapid testing," said Insp. Jason Walper with the LPS.

"There will be no change as far as the public's view of what we are responding to and how we are responding."

Four people have resigned since the city announced the policy on September 27th, but city officials won't say which departments they worked in.

No one has been let go because of the vaccine mandate.

The city's vaccination policy does not apply to council members.

Officials say they have the broad support of city council but did not specify their vaccination status.