LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — In an interoffice memo sent to Leon County employees Wednesday, the County set forth a plan that said all employees have until Oct. 1 to be vaccinated or be terminated.
"As an employer, we are required to provide a safe work environment for employees, and unvaccinated employees pose a significant risk to spread the virus," the memo said.
The mandate comes "as vaccinations stagnate and the delta variant has created a resurgence of the COVID 19 virus with the state of Florida at its epicenter," the memo said.
The COVID vaccination rule applies to new and existing employees and the only exceptions to the mandate are for employees who are "unable to be vaccinated due to an ADA-covered disability, a doctor certified diagnosed medical condition which prevents an employee from receiving a vaccination or 'a sincerely held religious belief.'"
To be exempt from the mandate, qualified employees must fill out an accommodation request form and submit it to Leon County Human Resources on or before Aug. 16.
Employees who are granted an accommodation to this condition of employment will be required to wear a mask at all times while at work. In addition, the County may opt to require that unvaccinated employees submit a negative COVID test on a weekly basis.
The Leon County Sheriff's Office said it will not require vaccinations for employees but is closing its admin building and jail lobbies to visitors and returning to telework where possible.
LCSO is also offering two days of administrative leave as an incentive to get vaccinated and employees must wear masks when they can't social distance.
The full memo can be read below:
