Vaccine mandates are gaining momentum and it is not hard to imagine they will be plentiful in various sectors before too long.
Some will be imposed by government and public health, and some will be self-imposed by businesses and institutions.
The federal Liberal government’s announcement that all federal employees must be vaccinated against COVID-19 by November as a condition of employment, while appearing to be a clever ploy to help kick off the election campaign, is nevertheless a game-changer.
The added requirement that all travellers by air, interprovincial train or cruise ship must also be vaccinated increases the likelihood of more mandates coming. After all, once a few of them are in place it becomes easier to invoke more.
The Vancouver Canucks have already said they are “definitely exploring the possibility of requiring proof of vaccination” for anyone attending their home games.
A Victoria brewery is hosting two concerts next week that are open only to those who can show proof of vaccination.
Various U.S. cities such as New York and San Francisco have adopted measures that require proof of vaccination to be able to attend entertainment venues or indoor dining. There will undoubtedly be more cities on both sides of the border that follow their lead.
Some companies – notably Shopify and Google – have said any employees attending indoor meetings must be vaccinated.
Aside from the fact that vaccine mandates provide a significant level of protection from COVID-19, there is also the point that they will prove to be enormously popular, since the vast majority of the public has chosen to be vaccinated.
In B.C., more than eight out of 10 people have received at least one dose of a vaccine and seven out of 10 are now fully vaccinated. The number of doses administered grows every day, and we should be at more than 85% of the population over the age of 12 fully vaccinated by late September.
Back to the Canucks. If we reach the 85% rate of vaccinations, that still leaves 15% of the eligible population unvaccinated, and thus at real risk of contracting the virus and transmitting it.
So if 20,000 or so people squeeze into Rogers Arena to watch a game there is a mathematical chance that 15% of them (or about 3,000 people) are completely unvaccinated.
I’m fairly sure the vast majority of the 17,000 people in the crowd who are vaccinated would support any measure that barred non-vaccinated people (an exception would be the very small number of people who cannot be vaccinated for legitimate health reasons) from entry.
It is not clear yet whether vaccine mandates will cover B.C.’s health and education sectors. However, Dr. Bonnie Henry has ordered that all staff in long-term care homes must be vaccinated so it is not inconceivable that she could place similar orders in the broader sectors.
But she has also made it clear that businesses or institutions do not need her permission to require employees or people on their premises to show proof of vaccination.
The emergence of the Delta variant of COVID-19, which has led to a massive spike in cases, has added an element of urgency to the situation. As a result, vaccine mandates may very well become the new normal.
Keith Baldrey is chief political reporter for Global BC.
