New MPI vaccine policy takes effect in January

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This article was published 25/11/2021 (1752 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba Public Insurance is stepping up its vaccine requirements for road tests, a move a Brandon driving instructor says he doesn’t believe will have a big impact on teens looking to get their licence.

Beginning in January, anyone taking a driving road test or an in-office cognitive assessment will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide a negative test result. According to an MPI press release, plexiglass barriers and physical distancing aren’t possible when providing those services.

Trevor Simpson, who owns the Westman-based driving school iTeachuDrive, said he hasn’t had an issue with his students not being fully vaccinated.

“The vast majority [of teenagers] are. I don’t think I’ve had a single one that isn’t vaccinated,” he said, adding he hasn’t had any pushback when asking to see people’s vaccination card.

The bigger problem is the backlog from shutdowns caused by health restrictions. Simpson said he has a months-long waiting list for driving lessons.

Going forward, he will now ask students to see both their vaccination card and driver’s licence before letting them get in the car and behind the wheel.

Anyone accessing other MPI services won’t be subject to the policy, but will still have to follow health restrictions, including mask-wearing and self-screening.

The policy applies to instructors in the Drivers Z program, who are contracted by the public insurer.

“MPI is committed to taking reasonable precautions it considers necessary to ensure the health and safety of our employees, customers, and the general public against the transmission and to reduce the severity of the illnesses associated with COVID-19. As such, this policy will be effective for the duration of the pandemic and will be reviewed regularly,” MPI president and CEO Eric Herbelin said in the press release.

The policy doesn’t apply to brokers, direct repair shops or rehabilitation partners in their own businesses.

The impact is less clear for commercial driving schools, said Remon Yang, owner of Professional Transport Driver Training School, who has locations in both Brandon and Winnipeg.

While all the staff at the school are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the facility doesn’t currently have a mandate for students.

“From the school perspective right now, we haven’t mandated the vaccine yet … we are assessing the student impact,” Yang said.

Yang is also looking for clarification from MPI on the negative test option, including who pays for the test and how long before it can be taken. He said he has a meeting scheduled with MPI to get more information on the pandemic policy.

“There’s [a] policy change, so we have to make [a] decision based on the clarification from MPI.”

The change in MPI’s policy is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 3, 2022.

» dmay@brandonsun.com

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