November 19, 2021
Registrants are advised that the 2020 AGM held November 9 is now available for viewing and is located in the Registrant Portal. Registrants who were unable to attend the AGM are encouraged watch the AGM at their convenience. Our many thanks again to the hundreds of registrants who were able to attend the live broadcast. The dialogue on important issues and challenges in regulation of the profession was welcome.
Details on Vaccine Mandate Not Yet Available
The status of the Public Health Officer’s (PHO’s) intended vaccine mandate remains the same as communicated at the AGM and in our email notice. The College has not yet received the specific language of the PHO’s order or its breadth so it is premature to answer detailed questions regarding the substance or breadth of the mandate at this time.
Registrants should be aware, however, that the PHO has the authority under the Public Health Act, Part 5 (Emergency Powers) to issue orders to protect the public, and that orders regarding vaccination mandates have already been issued by the PHO in the exercise of that authority. The Minister of Health also has authority under the Health Professions Act to request that college boards take necessary steps to implement the PHO’s order. If a college board does not comply with the Minister’s request, the Minister has the power to make an order amending the college’s bylaws without the board’s approval, or to appoint a public administrator to assume the board’s powers.
The College remains committed to sharing with registrants any further information we obtain about this important issue as it becomes available.
We appreciate, as always, your comments and feedback and encourage you to keep sending by email to: feedback@collegeofpsychologists.bc.ca