Provincial government employees will need to be fully vaccinated

The Public Service Commission says the directive will apply to around 11,000 employees

HALIFAXtoday\ Meghan Groff

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Provincial government employees will need to be fully vaccinated by the end of November.

In a news release, the Public Service Commission says the directive will apply to around 11,000 employees.

“As one of the larger employers in the province, I believe government must lead by example to protect our employees and the public we serve from the risk of COVID-19 and its variants and to support the provincial effort to increase vaccination rates,” said Colton LeBlanc, Minister of the Public Service Commission in a news release.

Any provincial government employees not fully vaccinated by November 30 with face “employment consequences including unpaid administrative leave unless they have received an employer-approved exemption.”

All new hires will also need to be fully vaccinated.

In the last week, the province has also announced a vaccine mandate for those in the healthcare and education sectors, along with provincial correctional services staff and those in the regulated child-care sector.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a new measure which will also require all federal employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.