City of Winnipeg to help arenas screen for COVID-19 vaccination

People who aren't immunized against COVID-19 but have been getting into city-owned arenas could soon be met by municipal staff screening for proof at the door.

The city will be sending support staff to monitor entry into its 11 municipally owned and operated arenas starting later this week, chief administrative officer Michael Jack said Wednesday.

In the interest of speed, those will be contract employees for now, but the hope is to have permanent city staff take over those roles by the end of the year, Jack said at a news conference.

The move follows reports that several permit holders who help keep the buildings running were not checking for immunization proof, he said.

Under current provincial health orders, all visitors, officials, managers, coaches and eligible players are required to prove their status before entering arenas.

Until now, the responsibility for monitoring and enforcing that has fallen on permit holders, who Jack says were informed of the requirement in September.

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman said he appreciates the volunteers who have pitched in at the rinks to check vaccination status, and he's thankful the city's public service "has found a way to step in to ensure access to indoor ice can continue" while ensuring health orders are followed.

Starting Friday, city staff will be screening people entering city-operated arenas during peak hours — generally from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends, but hours may vary by facility.

Permit holders are expected to uphold vaccine screening processes outside of those hours.

Jack said city-operated arenas have minimal staff on hand to carry out a variety of functions in each arena, like resurfacing ice rinks and building maintenance.

He said the city is also rolling out an "arena ambassador" program that will focus on educating permit holders about public health order compliance.

Council building vaccine requirement

The city also announced Wednesday that everyone entering the city hall council building will be required to show proof of vaccination as of Nov. 15.

That includes visitors, city employees and elected officials.

Guards have already been performing a variety of other public health screenings in the building for months, said Jack, and the vaccination requirement is just one more layer of that.

Citizens who want to appear in delegations for council and committee meetings can do so virtually until the end of next year. Those who are vaccinated can appear in-person.

Jack has the authority to approve entry of non-vaccinated people to access the building for essential safety, maintenance and operational activities, with alternate protective measures in place.

In September, the city's executive policy committee voted unanimously to require vaccination for councillors and their staff.

The city also requires a significant proportion of its workforce who deal with the public to be vaccinated, or undergo regular testing for COVID-19.

Of about 10,400 employees, the city says 5,500 positions fall under that requirement.

"As of today, 94 per cent are helping the City of Winnipeg lead by example and have been fully vaccinated," Bowman said, adding he's proud of city employees for helping created "a safer work environment for staff and for our residents."

Just under 350 unvaccinated city staff have instead opted to be tested for COVID-19 several times a week, said Jack. No disruptions to city services and programs are expected.

"We hope that this number will continue to decline in the coming days," said Jack.