On Monday, the City of Evanston announced in a news release its new mandatory vaccine policy for staff for staff--effective November 15.
The policy applies to all City staff, including seasonal and part-time workers, contractors, volunteers, and interns. It requires staff members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or to provide weekly COVID-19 test results to the City’s Health & Human Services Department.
Vaccination exemptions may be granted to staff for medical conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs. To date, more than 82 percent of City of Evanston employees are vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the release. The City’s goal is to reach a staff vaccination rate as close as possible to 100 percent, understanding that some staff members have medical or religious reasons for not receiving the vaccine.
“Getting vaccinated is the single most important action we can take to protect ourselves, our families, our coworkers, and our community from COVID-19,” said Mayor Daniel Biss. “This mandate will help keep our staff and residents safe, and I am grateful to Interim City Manager Kelley Gandurski and the rest of our team for acting swiftly to put this critical measure in place.”
In the release, Gandurski thanked Human Services Director Ike Ogbo for his guidance and the City’s Human Resources Division and Law Department for crafting a policy that will improve the City’s resiliency and response to this pandemic.
Visit vaccines.gov or call 1-800-232-0233 to find and schedule an appointment.
For more information on COVID, visit cityofevanston.org/covid19 or call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply dial 311 in Evanston.
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