TORONTO — Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has walked back comments she made opposing mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for education workers.
She says in a statement today that she made a mistake a day earlier suggesting a mandatory vaccine policy during a pandemic should take a back seat to charter rights.
Horwath now says she fully supports mandatory vaccination in health care and education, based on science and public health priorities.
On Wednesday, Horwath said in a CBC interview that she considers it a charter right for people to refuse the vaccine and supports regular rapid virus tests for unvaccinated education workers before they come to work.
Premier Doug Ford has said he won't mandate vaccinations for workers, saying he thinks it's a constitutional right to refuse the shot.
He's also said he doesn't support a proof-of-vaccination system that would allow people to participate in certain activities if they take the shots.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2021.
The Canadian Press
