Feds make vaccines mandatory for public servants, domestic travellers

'Core' federal public servants will have to attest to being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 29 or face being put on leave without pay by Nov. 15. And, anyone who wants to board a plane or train in Canada will have to prove they're vaccinated by Oct. 30 with 'limited exemptions,' the federal government has announced.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland outlined the details of the new COVID-19 vaccine mandates on Wednesday.

“This is about keeping people safe on the job and in our communities,” Trudeau said. “If you’ve done the right thing and gotten vaccinated, you deserve the freedom to be safe from COVID-19, to have your kids safe from COVID, to get back to the things you love.”

For the approximately 267,000 federal workers that fall under this new policy, it’ll be applicable whether employees work remotely or from the office, as well as if they work outside of Canada. The plan differentiates between those who are unable to be fully vaccinated, and those who are unwilling to be vaccinated.

There will be exemptions made for “certified medical contraindications,” as well as for religious reasons. Though, these accommodations will only be granted under certain parameters, including providing documented medical proof of the requirement for the exemption or testifying under oath to their religious beliefs, according to senior government officials that briefed reporters on the policy on a not-for-attribution basis, ahead of the announcement.