94% of City of Regina employees fully vaccinated

The City of Regina's vaccination policy, implemented this on Sept. 15 of last year, appears to be working, according to data shared at a council meeting Wednesday.

If employees weren't going to disclose their vaccination status or were not fully vaccinated, they could submit to a city-run testing program, which went into effect Oct. 1. The testing program required employees to be tested at least once a week.

Once Nov. 15 came along, the city-run site closed, and if employees still weren't vaccinated, they had to get their own tests done on their time and at their expense.

"On Oct. 1, 2021, there were 403 employees who chose not to disclose their vaccination status or who were not yet fully vaccinated who were tested," part of the agenda from Wednesday's council meeting reads.

"On Nov. 16, only 162 employees remaining and as of Jan. 7, 2022, there are 114 employees who are providing weekly tests."

Mayor Sandra Masters said that to her knowledge, from the briefings she has received, the people who make up the difference went out and got vaccinated.

The city confirmed, saying zero employees have been terminated under the policy, but the number of resignations due to the policy is not available.

As of Jan. 7, 2022, 94 per cent of City of Regina employees were fully vaccinated, according to a city spokesperson.

City firefighters help out at SHA vaccination site

Elsewhere on the COVID-19 front in Regina, people going to the vaccination site at the old Costco may see some firefighters helping out.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) was experiencing staffing shortages and reached out to the city for help, according to city manager Chris Holden.

"The SHA covers all of the cost of our city staff, but I think it is just another opportunity in terms of looking at partnership and community safety with the health authority," he said.

"We're enormously proud of Regina Fire and Rescue and [the partnership] is very recent as of this week or just last week," Mayor Masters added.

Masters said that about half of the city's firefighters are trained paramedics, so it was a good fit.

If at any point, staffing for Regina Fire and Rescue is affected, they will pull out of the agreement, Holden said.