No vaccine, no work:

Inslee orders mandatory vaccination requirement for state and healthcare workers

Gov. Jay Inslee announced a mandatory vaccination for many state workers on Aug. 9, 2021. The governor's announcement starts at 11:45 in this video. The Seattle mayor and King County executive announced similar orders following the governor.
Courtesy of TVW
Posted

 In a press conference this afternoon Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued a mandatory vaccination requirement for state workers who work in executive cabinet agencies and healthcare workers.

The requirement applies to state workers regardless of their employment status. This covers employees who are working under the Office of the Governor, Washington State Patrol, Depts. of Transportation, Military, Labor and Industries, Corrections and other agencies. In addition, the mandatory vaccination requirement also includes private healthcare workers and those who work in long-term settings. 

Under Inslee’s mandate, workers face possible termination if they refuse to get vaccinated until October 18, unless they apply for and are granted an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Those who hold personal or philosophical objections are not exempted from the requirement.

While statewide elected officials and organizations, as well as higher education, local governments, the legislative branch, organizations and the private sector are not included in the vaccination requirement, Inslee encouraged them to do the same. The City of Seattle and King County also imposed a mandatory vaccination requirement today. 

“It is the mission of public servants and those providing health care to serve our fellow Washingtonians. These workers live in every community in our state, working together and with the public every day to deliver services,” Inslee said during the press conference which was held at Kaiser Permanente in Seattle. He continued, “We have a duty to protect them from the virus, they have the right to be protected, and the communities they serve and live in deserve protection as well.”

With increasing concern over the more contagious Delta variant, the vaccination requirement serves as the governor’s response to contain the situation. “We have what is essentially a new virus at our throats, a virus that is twice as transmittable,” Inslee stated.

As of Monday, August 9, there are 71 new cases of COVID-19 in Thurston County. Overall, there are 12,611 confirmed cases with 748 hospitalizations and 102 deaths.

During his press conference, the Governor was joined by Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Kaiser Permanente Washington President Susan Mullaney, Washington State Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah, and Seattle-King County Public Health Officer Dr. Jeffrey Duchin.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here