Rehoboth to enforce vaccinate-or-test policy for employees
Beginning Monday, Jan. 3, Rehoboth Beach employees must provide documentation that shows full vaccination against COVID-19 virus or be subject to weekly COVID tests.
The city announced the change in policy Dec. 21. In a prepared statement, City Manager Sharon Lynn said her decision was made “considering this unrelenting pandemic, the ongoing seasonal surge, and the acute health risks that this situation poses to employees.”
According to a press release accompanying the announcement, the city is defining a fully vaccinated employee as someone who has received two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as well as a booster, if eligible. Employees who choose not to get vaccinated will be required to provide weekly negative COVID test results in order to report to work each week.
City employees will continue to be required to wear masks or shut their office doors while in city facilities.
“As with every COVID-related decision that I have made over the last 22 months,” said Lynn, “my absolute first and foremost responsibility is to provide a safe and healthy working environment to all employees and to the community we serve. Given the recent and rapid emergence of the Omicron variant, we have seen an increase in the number of employees who have tested positive for COVID, and we want to reduce the risk as much as possible.”
In a follow-up email after the announcement, Lynn said the city has 95 employees, with five currently out due to a positive COVID test or possible exposure. At this point, she said, the city doesn’t have a count on the number of employees who are or are not vaccinated because it hasn’t previously required proof.
Lynn said this policy applies to all city employees, including police officers, and they’re not sure which departments will be most affected by this change. An end date for the policy has not been determined; it will depend on COVID data moving forward, she said.
Given the staffing shortage the city faced this past summer, it’s unclear how the policy will affect the city’s ability to fill seasonal positions. Lynn said she’s not concerned about this issue right now.
“We’re taking one challenge at a time,” said Lynn.
In an email Dec. 22, Mayor Stan Mills said Lynn let him know about the policy in advance of the announcement, and he supports her efforts to protect employees.
The city will host an Aspira vaccination clinic from 4 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 5, in the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave. The clinic will be open to the public.
City spokeswoman Lynne Coan said Aspira will be offering the adult first, second and booster shots, and pediatric first and second shots of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine.
Chris Flood has been working for the Cape Gazette since early 2014. He currently covers Rehoboth Beach and Henlopen Acres, but has also covered Dewey Beach and the state government. He covers environmental stories, business stories and random stories on subjects he finds interesting, and he also writes a column called Choppin’ Wood that runs every other week. He’s a graduate of the University of Maine and the Landing School of Boat Building & Design.
