Oregon health care workers must get COVID-19 shots or submit to weekly testing, governor says

[Mme. Defarge]

Source: The Oregonian

Oregon health care workers will have to get vaccinated for COVID-19 or face weekly testing, Gov. Kate Brown’s office said Wednesday, in an apparent step to fight the state’s run-away coronavirus case numbers fueled by the delta variant.

The move comes amid a nationwide push to drive up vaccination rates, both for the general public and among health care workers in particular. Brown’s intervention effectively neutralizes an Oregon law that says employers can’t fire health care workers for not being vaccinated.

Brown’s order, through the Oregon Health Authority, sidesteps the law by mandating weekly testing while allowing for an exemption from the requirement for those who can prove they’ve been immunized.

Oregon appears to be the only state in the nation with the prohibition specifically for health care workers, and one of the sponsors of the bill was perplexed by the ramifications, saying, “Why the hell did we do that?”




Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2021/08/oregon-health-care-workers-must-get-covid-19-shots-or-submit-to-weekly-testing-governor-says.html

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This law dates back to 1989.

https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2021/07/why-the-hell-did-we-do-that-how-unique-oregon-law-prevents-covid-19-vaccine-mandates-for-health-care-workers.html

[Initech]

1. Good! Time to stop playing nice with anti-vaxxers!

Especially in the health care industry!

[Sapient Donkey]

2. Will they protest weekly testing requirements?

[madville]

3. For safety shouldn't the vaccinated staff be regularly tested as well?

Since infected vaccinated people are likely to have mild or even no symptoms, it seems like they should tested regularly as well since they may unknowingly be coming to work infected. Especially now that we know how highly contagious the Delta variant is.