Polis orders unvaccinated state employees to get tested regularly and wear masks — but he won’t require shots

Gov. Jared Polis announced Friday that authorities employees who stay unvaccinated against the coronavirus are required to get tested doubly a week and proceed wearing masks successful indoor nationalist areas, but helium stopped abbreviated of issuing a mandate that workers get immunized.

The governor’s announcement comes a time aft President Joe Biden revealed caller rules for national civilian employees, which necessitate them to get a COVID-19 vaccine oregon look regular testing, masking and different societal distancing measures.

“I person heard from authorities employees who are terrified that their unvaccinated co-workers volition springiness them COVID-19 and privation vaccination mandated, and from different authorities workers who person hesitation towards the vaccine,” Polis said successful a statement. “I deliberation this mediate roadworthy is the close 1 to take, respecting the close of authorities workers to determine portion besides taking effectual steps to code the morganatic information concerns of chap authorities workers.”

There’s been a increasing propulsion nationally to get much Americans vaccinated, with hospitals and different businesses requiring their employees to get the shots. Earlier this week, UCHealth and Denver Health announced they will necessitate their unit to get vaccinated by this fall.

So far, 62% of eligible Coloradans are afloat vaccinated, according to authorities wellness section data.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has besides revised its disguise guidance successful airy of caller information that shows the delta variant whitethorn beryllium a bigger menace than antecedently believed, by saying that adjacent those inoculated against the microorganism should inactive deterioration masks successful indoor nationalist settings successful overmuch of the state — including crossed Colorado’s Front Range.

The investigating requirements for authorities workers volition spell into effect connected Sept. 20.

State employees who stay unvaccinated volition person to taxable their twice-weekly COVID-19 trial results to quality resources. And erstwhile they get immunized, they volition not beryllium taxable to the testing, according to the quality release.

In their announcement of the caller program, authorities officials did not accidental what happens if unvaccinated employees neglect to taxable trial results.

The authorities employs 31,000 people.