As more public groups make vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory, a notable one isn't.
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) will not require officers or staff to be vaccinated.
"VPD will require everyone in our department to either be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or undertake frequent COVID-19 testing," says VPD spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin in an email to Vancouver Is Awesome.
Details on how it'll work for the VPD, like whether unvaccinated officers will be allowed to work on the frontline, are still being worked out, she adds. More information will be released at a later date.
Other, similar organizations are making vaccinations mandatory. Under federal policies, all RCMP officers will have to be vaccinated soon, with repercussions as soon as Nov. 15. However, the union representing RCMP officers will support those who don't follow that mandate. Surrey's new police force will have vaccines mandated for its members as well (they expect to have officers deployed Nov. 30).
In Vancouver, it was announced city staff will have to be vaccinated by Dec. 6 or they won't be allowed in their workplace. While not staff, city councillors are all already vaccinated. Parks employees and Vancouver Fire Rescue Services are a part of the city announcement and following that process.
"It is a requirement for our staff and we will be following the City requirements and timelines," Fire Chief Karen Fry says in an email.
The Vancouver Public Library board will be discussing the issue at an upcoming meeting this week.
Not everyone is in alignment with the city, though. Metro Vancouver, the regional district, is not making vaccines mandatory at this time.
"Vaccination is strongly encouraged, but not required, for Metro Vancouver employees," a spokesperson writes to Vancouver is Awesome.
The decision there lies with the administration.
Meanwhile, thousands of health care workers are still not fully vaccinated as the province's mandate approaches. As of Oct. 26 anyone working or volunteering in public health facilities needs to be vaccinated.
