WHEREAS the provincial government has announced an amended distribution process for COVID-19 vaccines that includes a variety of other significant risk factors in addition to age;
AND WHEREAS COVID-19 has devastated populations world wide, causing a particularly deep and prolonged lockdown in the Region of Peel;
AND WHEREAS during the second wave of COVID-19 in Peel, approximately 370 community outbreaks have occurred in workplaces with the majority in Peel’s heavy concentration of essential employment sectors such as warehousing, manufacturing, distribution and food packaging;
AND WHEREAS the workforce in these employment centres is often more precariously employed, vulnerable hourly workers without adequate paid sick day protection;
AND WHEREAS these more vulnerable employees, working in essential employment sectors are at risk for COVID-19 which they then take home to their families, facilitating continuous spread;
AND WHEREAS the last census completed in 2016 identified 306,100 Peel residents employed in warehousing, manufacturing, distribution and packaging.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED
That the City of Mississauga requests the Ontario Government prioritize and expedite non-mandatory vaccination of all those Peel residents employed under conditions that make their places of work conductive to the spread of COVID-19;
And further, that the Ontario Government support the non-mandatory vaccination of vulnerable employees in high-incidence areas in Peel at their places of work such as warehouses, manufacturing facilities, packaging and distribution centre to more efficiently and effectively slow the spread of COVID-19 in these “hot spots”;
And further that this request be shared with the Premier, the Provincial Minister of Health and Peel Members of Provincial Parliament.