While much of the country opens up, dropping nearly all restrictions, Trudeau’s government is expected to renew the vaccine mandate and may even require booster doses.
The federal government is due to renew or let its vaccine mandate policy phase out tomorrow. Many in government believe it is the former, though they feel like they’re in the dark about what a renewed federal vaccine mandate will look like.
“[The Treasury Board has] said, ‘You will see a renewed policy on April 6,'” Public Service Alliance of Canada president Chris Aylward said. “I have no idea what that renewed policy might look like.”
According to Treasury Board president Mona Fortier, “Any decisions will be based on science and the advice of public health officials.”
Not very reassuring, to say the least, and many in the public sector have lashed out over the continued restrictions and mandates of the federal government.
Last week, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada released a harsh statement for the Treasury Board of Canadian Secretariat, demanding that the government give a hard deadline for the end of the vaccine mandate, as well as promising to investigate any grievances it has caused.
“It is unacceptable that the employer implemented a policy with such harsh impacts on our members without appropriate consultation,” the statement reads.
“We view the policy as a temporary measure, and with the high vaccination rates achieved across Canada, we urge the employer to determine when the policy will no longer be required. As provinces ease restrictions, the employer must do the same and allow members on Leave Without Pay (LWOP) to come back to work.”
Indeed, if the vaccine is supposedly the solution, more than enough Canadians have already done their part.
With that said, COVID vaccine efficacy remains dubious at best — which also points to the lack of need for vaccine mandates.
In Ontario, COVID infection and death rates are higher among the vaccinated and boosted. Moreover, while cases are rising — though they remain low — COVID-related deaths have flatlined, and the per capita rate is only slightly higher than the annual flu.
Either way, it’s hard even to make a weak case for the continued implementation of vaccine mandates.
