(Angie Rolheiser/northeastNOW staff)

By Becky Zimmer

Humboldt approves proof of vaccination or negative testing for city staff

Oct 1, 2021 | 5:52 PM

Administration and council have been busy discussing COVID policy and procedure for City of Humboldt staff during recent council meetings.

During a special meeting on Sept. 30, council approved recommendations that they implement proof of vaccination and negative testing requirements for staff and contractors.

Those who are unable to provide proof of vaccination will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test twice a week with the policy taking effect Oct. 5 and will be in effect until rescinded by council.

The city will be absorbing the costs of testing so those costs will not fall on city staff.

The issue was initially discussed at the regular council meeting on Sept. 27 in preparation for new public health policies that were to be put in place on Oct. 1 by the provincial government.

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Mayor of Humboldt Michael Behiel told northeastNOW they really did believe they had the best interests of their staff and the community in mind.

“At that time, we recognized that we want it to be as protective of all of our employees and citizens as we possibly could be,” Behiel said. “And so one thing we’re really big on is safety. So we felt that on Monday night, when we put it into effect, that it would be in everybody’s best interest, everybody’s best protection.”

However, further discussion among administration and council after the meeting, and new information from SUMA and the province, revealed that Monday’s policy draft recommendation should be looked at one more time.

Humboldt residents and staff have been bringing forth both support and valid concerns about the policy, said Behiel. Employees who were already vaccinated felt the policy punished them for getting the vaccine by previously requiring them to be tested as well.

Things are changing quite rapidly as the province continues to administer mandates on masks, vaccines requirements, and vaccine passports.

It is a challenge to keep up, Rodger Hayward, president of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA), told northeastNOW.

SUMA has been providing municipalities, including the City of Humboldt, with guidance on COVID policies, which include webinars on current provincial COVID mandates.

They have been working to get answers from the government, said Hayward.

Hayward said another webinar is planned for Monday with Minister of Government Relations, Don McMorris, to discuss current concerns and questions.

“The city mayors, as well as myself and a couple other executive members, are on a weekly call with (McMorris). And so that’s an opportunity to provide questions to the government and get some answers on different things,” Hayward said.

When speaking with Hayward early Friday afternoon on Oct. 1, he was still hoping that the government would be releasing their new health orders before the end of the day so SUMA would know “who is involved in those regulations and what has to be done.

“There’s still a lot of questions that even Suma has and I know most every municipality has the same questions.”

Things are constantly changing and that is causing problems in municipalities keeping up, said Behiel.

“The goalposts keep moving for us, you know, what was regulations on Monday weren’t the same regulations were in place on Tuesday,” Behiel said.

City council and staff will continue being on alert and consistently bringing those mandates and concerns to council for discussion.

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becky.zimmer@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @bex_zim