As the City of Windsor starts requiring employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the mayor and councillors said they've walked the walk.
Mayor Drew Dilkens and all ten members of Windsor City Council have confirmed that they have been fully vaccinated. According to a release put out Friday by Chief of Staff Andrew Teliszewsky, all of the city's elected representatives got both their doses earlier this year.
Dilkens said that he and Council thought transparency was needed to encourage people who are hesitant about getting the vaccine to do so.
"It’s time for each of us to muster the courage and have those challenging conversations with the individuals in our lives who have yet to get their shot," said Dilkens. "Each one of us needs to become a ‘vaccine ambassador’ to help convince unvaccinated friends and family that now is the time to act."
Ward 2 Councillor Fabio Costante said that with plenty of shots to go around, there's no excuse to not get the vaccine.
"Access to the vaccine is no longer an issue," said Costante. "We’ve got the Devonshire Mall site, pop-up clinics and even a Transit Windsor mobile clinic operating in our community today. While we are experiencing a heatwave this week, fall and winter are right around the corner, and the single best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to get fully vaccinated."
Windsor-Essex now has one of the highest case rates per capita in Ontario. According to the local health unit Friday morning, the seven-day rolling average case rate per 100,000 people is 69.4.