ANTIGONISH: The Town of Antigonish has revoked its proof of vaccination policy.
During the town’s regular council meeting on March 21, Meghan Barkhouse, director of corporate services, provided council with the recommendation from her department, which came with two reasons.
That same day, March 21, the province entered Phase 3 of its reopening plan where public masking and physical distancing requirements were dropped.
The Town of Antigonish based its COVID-19 guidelines and policies on Nova Scotia’s Public Health recommendations and mandates, and included physical distancing, masking, working from home at various times throughout the past two years, and developing a proof of vaccination policy for town staff in November 2021.
“The province has entered Phase 3 of its reopening plan today and provincial employees in non-high risk areas who refused to be vaccinated under the Nova Scotia COVID-19 mandates are able to return to their jobs,” Barkhouse told council. “Through legal insights provided by the town’s labour lawyer, and how the dropping of these mandates would impact the municipal sector; that it is recommended to revoke the policy.”
On March 3, Barkhouse attended a webinar hosted by the Association of Municipal Administrators Nova Scotia where discussions centred around the issues raised with not permitting unvaccinated employees back to work, as well as requiring any new hires to show their proof of vaccination.
The motion to repeal the policy passed unanimously by council.
Following the meeting, Mayor Laurie Boucher indicated, that while the repeal was a routine procedural process, it wasn’t going to bring anyone back to work.
“Our council, staff and employees were 100 per cent vaccinated,” Boucher told reporters. “To be able to do this after a long two years of COVID-19, is exciting. It means we’re at a point in the pandemic that it’s safe enough to do so, almost like a light at the end of the tunnel.”
The town will continue to monitor the provincial COVID-19 reopening plan, any future COVID-19 restrictions and be prepared to reinstitute a Proof of Vaccination Policy if it is mandated by public health.