Evanston announced a new COVID-19 vaccination policy for city staff that it calls “mandatory,” but which provides an alternative for anyone who doesn’t want to be vaccinated as a matter of “personal preference.”
The policy, which will take effect Nov. 15 and was announced Monday, requires city staff to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide weekly COVID-19 test results from tests taken on their own time.
Evanston’s testing option is available to anyone with a “personal preference” to undergo testing rather than vaccination, though the city’s policy also lists specific cases such as a medical condition with a note from a medical practitioner, a “sincerely held religious belief” or a recent positive COVID-19 test or treatment.
“Getting vaccinated is the single most important action we can take to protect ourselves, our families, our coworkers, and our community from COVID-19,” Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss said in a news 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.”
Evanston’s policy applies to all city staff, including seasonal and part-time employees, contractors, interns and volunteers. According to a memo from the city, more than 82% of city staff already are vaccinated.
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Oct 18, 2021