St. Paul Mayor: City Employees Must Get COVID Vaccine By End Of 2021
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- St. Paul's nearly 4,000 city employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by year's end.
According to a video announcement released Thursday, Mayor Melvin Carter said workers must complete their vaccination series by Dec. 31, 2021, and provide proof.
Workers must also attest to vaccination status by Jan. 14, 2022, unless they qualify for religious exemption or an accommodation. Carter's office says the city is also not providing an opt-out for COVID-19 testing.
Workers who don't certify by mid-January "will not be able to work and may be subject to discipline," according to his office.
In a statement released Thursday evening, St. Paul City Councilmember Jane Prince said she was "deeply disappointed" by the requirement, which she says is "the strictest vaccination mandate of any Minnesota municipality to date with no testing option."