Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood introduced at present that he has signed an emergency ordinance making acquiring a COVID-19 vaccination a situation of employment for all metropolis staff.
Thus far, 79 % of the town’s roughly 975 staff have volunteered to metropolis officers that they have been vaccinated, Fleetwood mentioned.
In accordance with the mayor’s emergency ordinance, all metropolis staff should obtain their final dose and submit proof of vaccination by November 19, 2021 on the newest, to be able to be thought-about absolutely vaccinated by December 3, 2021 on the newest.
The order applies to all metropolis staff, in addition to volunteers and contractors making new preparations for people to work within the metropolis’s amenities, Fleetwood mentioned.
“With this directive, I pledge the town to hitch the rising alliance of private and non-private organizations that perceive that the way in which to combat COVID-19 is to get individuals vaccinated,” mentioned Fleetwood. “We face the worst pandemic in fashionable historical past. Our hospitals are filling up, we’re seeing document numbers of diseases and rising deaths, and now circumstances are growing in our colleges. “
“It’s clear that our return to regular would require decisive motion on all sides. I hope this transfer inside our metropolis authorities will encourage different organizations to take related motion. Public well being officers in any respect ranges have made it clear that vaccination is among the most vital steps we will take to combat this pandemic. They discovered the vaccines to be secure and extremely efficient, lowering the variety of infections and the severity of the illness, ”he mentioned.
Timeline
Mayor Fleetwood’s schedule contains the next steps:
- Staff looking for cheap lodging for respectable medical causes or honest spiritual beliefs can name till shut of enterprise on fifteenth October.
- As a situation of employment, the town’s staff should present proof of a accomplished vaccination in opposition to COVID-19 by shut of enterprise on on the newest. present November nineteenth, besides for individuals who have acquired housing.
- An worker is deemed to have been absolutely vaccinated two weeks after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two weeks after the one dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine, whichever is not any later than by, in keeping with the schedule above third of December.
observe
Fleetwood mentioned his order made the COVID-19 vaccine a situation of employment. Staff who usually are not vaccinated or who haven’t been granted an exemption and lodging usually are not thought-about a situation of employment. Commonplace disciplinary measures can be adopted, and most certainly will consequence within the worker being dismissed.
Federal and state necessities
Mayor Fleetwood’s order enhances the state and state necessities not too long ago enacted by President Joe Biden and Governor Jay Inslee.
- Governor Jay Inslee issued a proclamation on August 9, 2021, wherein all staff, native unbiased contractors, volunteers, items and repair suppliers and authorities officers should be absolutely vaccinated in opposition to COVID-19 by October 18, 2021 and inspired native governments to cross a vaccine mandate. Fleetwood mentioned 160 metropolis staff are topic to Governor Inslee’s order, together with uniformed firefighters, paramedics, paramedics and fleet mechanics.
- President Joe Biden ordered the vaccination of all federal authorities staff on September 9, 2021, and in addition ordered the Division of Labor to situation a short lived emergency commonplace requiring employers with greater than 100 staff to order vaccination in opposition to COVID-19 or weekly exams of. perform unvaccinated staff. President Biden inspired personal employers and native governments to additionally enact vaccine mandates.
Extra info
Govt Order 2021-02 COVID-19 vaccinations for Bellingham Metropolis staff, volunteers and contractors
(Courtesy photograph of Whatcom County Division of Well being)
