City of Regina delays proof of vaccination target date by two months
Regina city council is pushing back its target date to require proof of vaccination from people entering city facilities.
Upon entry, visitors will have to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test as of Nov. 15, nearly two months after the original target date.
While Mayor Sandra Masters said she is confident the mask mandate at city facilities will keep people safe for the time being, it is possible proof of vaccination requirements are implemented sooner than the target date.
“I think with the mask mandate in place we have a little bit of peace of mind because we know masks reduce transmissibility,” Masters said.
“If the technology is there quicker, Chris Holden with his delegated authority will adjust that timeline accordingly.”
City manager Chris Holden said challenges with accessing QR codes is the main reason for changing the target date.
The province is expected to roll out QR technology next week. However, Holden said it will take time for the city to work out technical details with the codes and how they will be scanned at each facility.
Residents will need time to register for their MySaskHealthRecord in order to access the QR code, Holden said.
According to a city report, one additional staff member will be required at most facilities in order to complete the screening required. All public city facilities will have vaccination status checked at the door.
The city estimates it will cost $250,000 to activate proof of vaccination from Nov. 15 to the end of the year.
During Wednesday’s city council meeting, Saskatchewan Union of Nurses president Tracy Zambory spoke in support of the vaccine requirements. She said governments need to reinstate COVID-19 restrictions, such as proof of vaccination and mandatory masking, in order to curb the fourth wave.
“We’re on the brink of a tragedy,” Zambory said.
Ahead of Wednesday’s city council meeting, dozens of people gathered outside City Hall to protest against proof of vaccination.
One of the protest organizers, Tamara Lavoie, spoke to council arguing proof of vaccination goes against people’s rights and freedoms. She, like several of the other delegations, questioned Holden’s authority to make decisions regarding COVID-19 protocols.
In April 2020, city council passed a resolution to delegate specific authorities to the city manager to make decisions to respond to COVID-19. However, council does have the right to cancel or amend the decisions.
“I take that delegation very seriously,” Holden said, adding he is in regular talks with medical health professionals.
“At the end of the day I am accountable. I am accountable to the mayor and the ten councillors.”
In Saskatchewan, decisions to require proof of vaccination in businesses, organizations and institutions are left up to individual owners and governing bodies, which means city council is in its legal realm to request proof of vaccination.
In other parts of the country, these decisions are made at the provincial level.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.