The City of Kamloops will be requiring that all employees, contractors, and volunteers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by December 15.

In a statement, the City says implementing a vaccination policy is an additional measure to ensure that City workplaces, staff, and the public are as safe as possible.

“We have taken employee and public safety very seriously throughout the pandemic and have followed public health advice and orders as the driver for our operational decisions at the City,” City Manager David Trawin said Tuesday.

“We have strongly encouraged our employees to become vaccinated over the past six months, and we feel it is now time to put a policy around those expectations.”

The City will be releasing its COVID vaccine policy with details of the expectations, timelines, options, and consequences by Oct. 31. It will also outline the potential options for employees who are not yet vaccinated.

Trawin says that timeline was chosen to given employees who are not yet vaccinated sufficient time to ensure they comply with the requirements.

Exemptions will be made for people who are unvaccinated for a valid reason such as if they have a medical reason that prevents them from getting the COVID-19 vaccine.