Toronto Public Health recommends employers require proof of vaccination

Toronto's top doctor is encouraging employers in the city to institute policies that would require staff to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

Dr. Eileen de Villa says workplaces should come up with a vaccination policy that — at minimum — requires unvaccinated employees to get a medical exemption from a doctor or take a vaccine education course.

She says the policy should be complete with timelines and a plan to protect workers' personal health information.

The recommendation comes a day after the City of Toronto announced it would require vaccines for city staff and Toronto Transit Commission employees.

Toronto Public Health says the city's vaccine mandate "goes above and beyond'' de Villa's recommendations, but that it serves as a model for other employers to adopt.

"I encourage all employers to follow the advice of public health officials and institute a workplace vaccination policy to protect their employees and the public from COVID-19," said Mayor John Tory in a statement.

"I continue to urge all residents to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their coworkers, and the progress we have made fighting the pandemic."

There have been a flood of new vaccine mandates over the past week after Ottawa announced it would require all federal public servants and workers in some federally regulated industries to get protected against COVID-19.