How does Washington's new vaccine mandate work? Here's what we know
On Monday, Gov. Jay Inslee issued a mandate that makes vaccination against COVID-19 a condition of employment for hundreds of thousands of Washington state employees, contractors and healthcare workers.
Workers have until Oct. 18 to prove to their employer that they’re fully vaccinated against the virus. If they can’t, they could be fired.
Inslee said the order was issued in response to a surge in COVID cases throughout Washington, fueled by the emergence of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, which is spreading rapidly in unvaccinated communities across the state. Data from the state Department of Health shows that the state is averaging more than 2,600 new cases a day and hospitalizations have increased by 70% over the last two weeks.
"We have what is essentially a new virus at our throats," he said at a news briefing announcing the mandate. "A new virus that is twice as transmissible, and is causing an explosion of this dreadful disease in the state of Washington."
https://www.seattlepi.com/coronavirus/article/how-does-washington-state-vaccine-mandate-work-16380080.php