City of Decatur vaccination deadline is Nov. 30 for employees; 68.8% vaccinated
DeKalb County Board of Health R.N. Sheila Alexander examines a syringe of COVID-19 vaccine she has drawn up to administer to a frontline worker at the T. O. Vinson Health Center Auditorium on Winn Way in Decatur on Dec. 31, 2020. Photo by Dean Hesse.
Decatur, GA — The city of Decatur is giving its employees until Nov. 30 to be fully vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing.
City Manager Andrea Arnold said she authorized the new policy to comply with President Joe Biden’s vaccine requirements for employers with more than 100 workers.
“The city’s deadline for employees to be fully vaccinated is November 30,” Arnold said. “After that date, any unvaccinated employees will be subject to testing up to twice per week. All new hires must be fully vaccinated.”
Arnold also shared vaccination data for the city’s employees, broken down by department.
“As of 10/22/21, 68.8% of our full-time employees had reported being fully vaccinated,” Arnold said.
Here are the vaccination rates for individual departments in the city of Decatur:
Active Living: 70%
Admin Services/Community & Economic Development/City Manager’s Office: 90.6%
Children & Youth Services:72.7%
Fire: 70.3%
Police: 60.8%
Public Works: 62.1%
Source: City of Decatur
City Schools of Decatur is also requiring its staff to get the COVID-19 vaccine. School district staff have until Oct. 31 to comply with the mandate. For staff members who are granted an exemption and don’t have to get a COVID-19 vaccine, they will be required to take a rapid COVID-19 test daily. Tests will be offered in the school buildings.
A nearby city is struggling with implementing a similar requirement for its employees. Stone Mountain’s City Council is considering a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city employees, but has encountered resistance from employees.
About one-third of the city’s 32 employees are known to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to City Manager Chaquias Miller-Thornton.
During a recent City Council meeting, city officials revealed that some employees started a petition against a possible vaccine mandate. The city provided that petition in response to an open records request from Tucker Observer, and the records show that the city’s Police Department is behind it. The city also provided comment cards submitted by employees about the possible mandate.
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