Peterborough Public Health Offers Workplace Guidance As Restrictions Loosen
/Peterborough Public Health (PPH) recommends that workplaces continue vaccination-related measures as provincial public health regulations ease announced Monday.
Photo by David Tuan Bui.
PPH urges the measures to continue to protect employees, patrons and all vulnerable residents from spreading COVID-19.
These measures include maintaining workplace vaccination policies and supporting businesses continuing vaccination proof requirements. Masking in public settings remains mandatory in Ontario.
“The loosening of provincial public health measures signals that we have reached a turning point of this pandemic such that our health system is not at risk of being overwhelmed,” said Dr. Thomas Piggott, Medical Officer of Health. “Unfortunately, COVID-19 is still very much present in our community and transmission is still occurring. It is up to us as individuals and as a community to protect those at greatest risk of severe health outcomes from COVID-19. Luckily, we have the tools available to do this.”
He noted that high vaccination rates continue to be the most important ways to prevent COVID-19 and is recommending for all workplaces and organizations to have a COVID-19 vaccination policy.
According to PPH, emerging evidence indicates that three doses of an mRNA vaccine is 60 per cent effective at reducing transmission and 90 per cent effective at reducing mortality from COVID-19 while simultaneously reducing the severity of illness and hospitalization.
PPH urges workplaces to require employees to have three doses. The Verify Ontario app is still available and the Ontario government will continue to provide access to COVID-19 vaccination certificates with a QR code.
Employees and patrons must wear a mask in public indoor spaces, including:
public spaces (for example, inside stores, event spaces, entertainment facilities and common areas in hotels)
workplaces, even those that are not open to the public
vehicles that operate as part of a business or organization, including taxis and rideshares
