Montreal, Oct. 6, 2021 (AFP) – The Canadian government announced on Wednesday (6) the entry into force of compulsory vaccination for federal employees and travelers as of October 29, two months after the measure was announced .
Federal employees have until October 29 to present their vaccination certificate at the workplace, or face dismissal without pay.
“Anyone who lied about this certificate will incur serious consequences,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned at a press conference. Exceptions will be made for employees who cannot be vaccinated for medical or religious reasons.
“Exceptions, whether medical or not, will be extremely limited and difficult to obtain,” he anticipated. A “personal conviction” will not be enough to circumvent the measure, he insisted.
“As the country’s largest employer, we want to make sure the Canadian government leads by example,” said Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. The federal public service has approximately 300,000 employees.
Travelers will need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative covid test to be able to board planes or trains from October 30. As of November 30, only fully immunized Canadians will have access to these services.
More than 81% of Canadians over 12 are fully immune and 87% have received at least one dose, according to government data.
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