Canada will send unvaccinated federal officials on unpaid leave and will require vaccines for anyone traveling by plane, train or ship. This was stated yesterday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, presenting some of the strictest vaccination policies in the world so far, Reuters reported.

By October 29, all federal officials will have to declare on an online portal that they have completed an immunization cycle. People over the age of 12 who use domestic flights, trains and sea transport will have to show that they have been fully vaccinated by 30 October.

This also applies to those employed in the transport sector.

"These transport measures, along with compulsory vaccination for federal officials, are among the strictest in the world," Trudeau told reporters. "If you do the right thing and get vaccinated, you deserve the freedom to be safe from covid," he added.

In Canada, there are about 300,000 people in the civil service, plus another 955,000 people employed in government-regulated sectors. This makes about 8 percent of all employees in the country.

Canada has fully vaccinated more than 70 percent of its population of 38 million.

/BTA