Toronto District School Board extends deadline for staff COVID-19 vaccination policy

Canada's largest school board is giving staff more time to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as long as they disclose theirimmunization status.

The Toronto District School Board's mandatory vaccination policy had previously set a Nov. 1 deadline for employees to be fullyvaccinated or risk losing their jobs.

A board spokesman said Wednesday that staff who haven't disclosedtheir vaccination status by that date will be placed on unpaid leave but those who've said they're unvaccinated or have only one shot now have until Nov. 21 to get their jabs.

Ryan Bird said the board is taking the gradual approach to ensureit can address any staffing "shortfalls" that result from the policy. He also said the change gives the board more time to review requests for exemptions on medical or religious grounds.

"We will continue to work with staff to support them in this process and do our best to avoid any unnecessary service impacts for students, staff and community members," Bird said in a written statement.

Failure to comply could mean termination

The Toronto board's policy takes a harder line on immunizationsthan the minimum standards set by the province, which requireunvaccinated school staff to get tested for the virus twice a week.

TDSB staff who get their first shot by Nov. 19 will have anothermonth to get their second shot, and those whose exemption requestsare denied will have 45 days to get vaccinated or be placed on leave.

Failing to comply with the policy, which applies to 39,845workers, could lead to termination but the board hasn't yet saidwhen that will happen.

The board has reported that as of Oct. 22, 85 per cent of all staff or 33,917 peoplehad attested to being fully vaccinated. Fivepeople in total had approved medical exemptions as of that date and 1,740 people hadn't filled out the board's disclosure form.

The Progressive Conservative government has so far resisted callsto make vaccinations mandatory for all school staff across theprovince, citing possible pressure on already low staffing levels if thousands of education workers lose their jobs.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce said on Tuesday that 50,000 education workers could be fired if the province mandated COVID-19vaccines for workers the sector.

A ministry spokeswoman said 85 per cent of education staff arefully vaccinated and the remaining 15 per cent have attested to notbeing fully vaccinated, including having medical exemptions, or haven't disclosed their status.