15 city employees on unpaid leave due to vaccination status: City of Winnipeg

The City of Winnipeg says while the majority of its front-line workers have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, 15 have been placed on unpaid leaves of absence.

A spokesperson for the City of Winnipeg told CTV News as of Monday 97 per cent of the 5,500 employees who are required to be fully vaccinated or undergo regular testing have confirmed their vaccination status with the city.

It said 187 employees are participating in regular COVID-19 testing before reporting to work as a part of the city's COVID-19 testing program.

The spokesperson said, as of Monday, 15 leaves of absences without pay were approved.

"At this time, we do not anticipate any negative impacts to City services or programs as a result of the full implementation of the vaccine program," they said in an emailed statement to CTV News.

This is a jump since mid-November, when Mayor Brian Bowman said a total of 13 workers were on unpaid leave.

The city has implemented its vaccine mandate requiring proof of vaccination or regular testing against COVID-19 from employees who have ongoing contact with vulnerable residents, including children under 12, or those who work in high-risk settings with direct and ongoing contact with the public.

-with files from CTV's Charles Lefebvre