The city of Evanston announced Oct. 18 that to protect the health and safety of city workers and the Evanston community it will implement a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for city staff effective Nov. 15.
The policy, which a news release said applies to all city staff, including seasonal and part-time workers, contractors, volunteers and interns, requires staff members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or to provide weekly COVID-19 test results to the city’s Health & Human Services Department. Vaccination exemptions may be granted to staff for medical conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs, the release said.
“Getting vaccinated is the single most important action we can take to protect ourselves, our families, our co-workers and our community from COVID-19,” Mayor Daniel Biss said in the release. “This mandate will help keep our staff and residents safe, and I am grateful to Interim City Manager Kelley Gandurski and the rest of our team for acting swiftly to put this critical measure in place.”
To date, more than 82% of city of Evanston employees are vaccinated against COVID-19. The city’s goal is to reach a staff vaccination rate as close as possible to 100%, understanding that some staff members have medical or religious reasons for not receiving the vaccine, the release said.
All three currently authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in helping prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19, the release noted, adding that vaccines are free and widely available. Visit vaccines.gov or call 800-232-0233 to find and schedule an appointment.
For more information on COVID, visit cityofevanston.org/covid19 or call or text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply dial 311 in Evanston.
Source: City of Evanston
