In light of Wednesday’s provincial announcement regarding mandatory vaccine certificates in Ontario, CK Public Health has developed a COVID-19 Vaccine Support Package for Employers.
This package is preluded by a letter of strong recommendation from Chatham-Kent’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Colby, and will provide workplaces with the resources and supports they need to implement a vaccine policy for their staff.
A message from Dr. David Colby, Medical Officer of Health for Chatham-Kent:
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on Chatham-Kent. With the onset of the fourth wave and the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant, the time to maximize our efforts and further protect the members of our community has come.
I am sincerely grateful to the employers and workplaces across Chatham-Kent who continue to keep their staff, customers, clients, and the community safe. They have been innovative, resourceful, and adjusted their sails in response to endless revisions of guidelines, directives, and policies.
As I have stated repeatedly over the last months, vaccination against COVID-19 is the most powerful tool to protect yourself and your workplace from the risks of COVID-19. Vaccination is incredibly effective at protecting against serious illness and helps prevent the spread of the virus. As of September 2, 2021, 72% of eligible CK residents born in 2009 or before are fully vaccinated. There is much work to be done to reach the goal of at least 90% full immunization coverage. The best time to receive your COVID-19 vaccination was when it first became available, and the second best time is now!
I am writing to you today to recommend, in the strongest possible terms, that all local employers institute a workplace COVID-19 vaccination policy for their business or organization. This will help protect your work environment and assist us in achieving higher overall vaccination rates across Chatham-Kent. This is a necessary step towards putting the COVID-19 pandemic behind us and protecting ourselves, those we know, and those we do not.
I have outlined the considerations and components that I recommend all employers include in their COVID-19 vaccination policy in the following document: CK Public Health’s COVID-19 Vaccine Support Package for Employers.
For convenience, we have also created a webpage specifically on vaccination policies. You will find this support package, along with a number of helpful resources (including Ontario Chief Medical Office of Health’s Directive 6) at www.CKPublicHealth.Com/Vaccination-Policies.
Sincerely,
Dr. W. David Colby (Medical Officer of Health, Chatham-Kent)
