CORNWALL, Ontario – The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU), in a statement to media on Friday, Sept. 17 strongly recommended that businesses come up with their own COVID-19 vaccination policies.
Components of such policies that the EOHU is recommending include COVID-19 prevention measures, including vaccinations and other health measures, requiring proof of vaccination or proof of a medical exemption, alternatives for unvaccinated employees including more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), deadlines and consequences for not complying with the policy.
“Businesses and organizations have a responsibility to maintain a safe work environment for workers and volunteers, as well as to protect their clients. This is especially important as the region is experiencing an increase of COVID-19 cases driven by the more transmissible and dangerous Delta variant. Requiring proof of vaccination helps protect workers from the risks of COVID-19 and encourages everyone to get their shot, while also supporting businesses to keep customers safe, stay open and minimize disruptions,” reads a statement from the EOHU.
This comes roughly one week after the Cornwall and Area Chamber of Commerce asked the health unit to not mandate vaccination policies for businesses.
RELATED: Chamber asks health unit to not mandate vaccine policies for businesses
“For the record, we strongly recommended that he not mandate vaccine policies be adopted by businesses,” said Chamber Executive Director Greg Pietersma in an email to members about his conversations with Dr. Roumelitois.
“The additional operational overhead and potential cost as well as the impact on staffing were not what businesses needed to be burdened with at this moment. We are also concerned about how a vaccine policy would be managed to ensure compliance with Protection of Personal Information policies,” he added.
The full list of recommendations for vaccine policies for businesses can be found on the EOHU website.
