Mayor, councillors urge Ottawa police to revisit COVID-19 vaccination policy

The Ottawa Police Service COVID-19 vaccination policy, released to all officers and civilians last Friday, doesn't make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory to report to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The policy, released to all officers and civilians last Friday, doesn't make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for employees to report to work. Instead, unvaccinated members must provide a negative COVID-19 test result every 72 hours.

"I don't support what the Ottawa police have done. They are an independent organization and have their own board, but I think we all have to practise what we preach," said Watson after Wednesday's council meeting.  "We are out there telling people to get double vaccinated, or they risk losing their jobs at the city of Ottawa. It’s not a frivolous thing that we are engaged in, it is a serious matter.

"Police come in contact with dozens of people every single day and for the life of me I can’t understand why they wouldn’t follow the same rules that other public servants in Ottawa quite frankly throughout the country are following."

Despite strong opposition to the policy from the mayor and some councillors, Ottawa police are standing by the policy.