Town suspends its vaccination policy

By Ron Giofu

The Town of Amherstburg has suspended its vaccination policy. Town council voted to suspend the policy at its most recent meeting.

According to a report from manager of human resources Donna King, the town’s current vaccination policy was adopted Sept. 16, 2021 and revised July 25, 2022.

King said since that time, “a number of relevant conditions have developed that support the policy being suspended” with one being the guidance of public health officials denoting COVID-19 is a “disease we are going to need to learn to live with.”

“This guidance does not equate to reverting to a pre-pandemic state but rather the development of a realistic community planning strategy that retains caution and, when participating in higher risk activities, advocates a strong vaccination program and the ability to increase or decrease public health measures based on current information about risk factors and disease activity,” King wrote in her report to town council.

King also stated regional municipalities as well as those across Ontario have relaxed, revoked or suspended policies.

“The Town’s continued use of the Employee Workplace Health Assessment Tool up until February of 2023 as an extended precautionary activity assisted in navigating through a potentially higher risk time period and can be invoked again if needed (i.e. fall and winter),” King stated.

King added: “Approval of the suspension of the policy, as recommended in this report enables the Town to move to a more reflective state regarding this issue and ensures the Town is in a position to re-instate previously necessary measures should it be required in the future. Other Town procedures including the Infectious Disease Reporting during a Pandemic Procedure will require review and a potential refresh to ensure consistency with any adjustments arising out of the suspension of the policy.”

Councillor Linden Crain asked if there was a reason the town waited this long to suspend the policy.

“We were just aligning our policies and this was a workload issue,” said CAO Valerie Critchley. “The other reason was also because when we left it in place, we really weren’t sure what the fall and winter were going to bring.”

Critchley said they “left it there to see if something might shift” but since they made it through the winter without re-envoking it, administration felt this was the right time to suspend it.

Councillor Peter Courtney wanted to know if suspending it was “a safeguard” in case health officials believed it was necessary again.

“We’re suspending it because if we need to pivot again, we’ll be able to,” said Critchley, adding new hires still have to be vaccinated.