Vaccine requirement for Hamilton police to be lifted amid Ontario’s re-evaluation of policy

COVID-19.The move comes on the heels of the province’s chief medical officer’s re-evaluation of letters sent last year to various sectors, including hospitals and post-secondary institutions, requiring the development of immunization policies.A spokesperson for the Hamilton Police says the service will be following the Ford government’s direction and dropping rapid test requirements for members who didn’t get shots or didn’t disclose their status.

Vaccine policies ‘no longer necessary,’ Ontario top doc wants to remove them March 1 “Those members that refused to comply with the testing were not permitted to enter the workplace and were placed on an unpaid leave,” HPS’ Jackie Penman said in an email to Global News.“Beginning on March 1, the rapid testing no longer applies and those members may return.”In October, Hamilton police followed suit with a number of police services across Ontario, implementing a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.The policy stipulated that members who chose not to submit their vaccination status had to undergo rapid testing before their shift rotation.Chief Frank Bergen said the decision was made around concerns during the fourth wave and a spike month over month in coronavirus cases in Hamilton.“As a service, we believe mandatory vaccinations are just one of the ways we can reassure our members and the public that we have taken the necessary steps to protect ourselves and the community we serve,“ Bergen said.Over 95 per cent of members opted to get fully vaccinated between October 2021 and February 2022, according to Penman.New hires will still be required to provide proof of vaccination status.The service says they have and will continue to adhere with public health guidelines which.