Laid-off workers to help at B.C. Covid vaccination clinics

The B.C. Government will be hiring about 1,400 out-of-work hospitality and tourism-related workers to do non-clinical work at vaccine clinics.

“It’s with the assistance of these workers, along with countless volunteers, that have been stepping up to say ‘How can I participate in the end of Covid-19 in my community?’ It’s really quite heart-warming,” Premier John Horgan said at a news conference Wednesday.

Horgan said 14 community partners, like Air Canada, WestJet and the Canadian Red Cross, are involved in the initiative to help the health authorities meet their objectives.

“We are supporting the industries by back-stopping some of the salaries. Many of them are offering up their employees with full pay, others are not, and we’re trying to balance that out in a way that meets the needs of our immunization process,” Horgan explained.

Horgan said it will also put “cash in the pockets” of workers who have been furloughed or laid-off over the last year.

“So this is not unlike the Covid benefit, or other programs that federal and provincial governments have been bringing forward to help people get through the pandemic,” Horgan stated.

The province said tourism and hospitality businesses have already begun to call and train hundreds of staff who have been laid off due to the pandemic.

“Workers from these industries will provide their expertise and logistical support as non-clinical staff at immunization clinics to help move people through the clinics efficiently and safely. Many of these workers bring additional language skills as well,” a government news release said.

Community partners in the program include:

* Air Canada

* B.C. Pavilion Corporation

* Ceres Terminals Canada

* Canadian Red Cross

* Fraser Valley Bandits

* Pacific Destinations Services

* Pacific National Exhibition

* Tourism Whistler

* Vancouver Canucks

* Vancouver Giants

* Vancouver International Airport

* WestJet