That Coworker Saying They’ll Quit Over Vax Mandates? They Probably Won’t

NPR: Surveys Say Workers Will Quit Over Vaccine Mandates, But They Often Don't
Surveys have shown that as many as half of unvaccinated workers say they will leave their jobs if they're forced to get the COVID-19 shot, but in reality few of them actually quit. That's according to an article in The Conversation, a nonprofit news organization that covers academic research. Researchers looked at companies that have vaccine mandates in place and saw that, so far, only a fraction of workers leave their jobs when it comes down to it. "In other words, vaccine mandates are unlikely to result in a wave of resignations — but they are likely to lead to a boost in vaccination rates," they write. (Farrington, 9/29)

Also —

CalMatters: Most California Health Care Workers Complying With Coming Vaccine Mandate
Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health, Keck Medicine and other major hospital systems in California say they are well on their way to meeting Thursday’s deadline for the state’s coronavirus vaccination mandate, with several citing vaccination rates of 90% or higher. California was the first state in the nation to announce that all health care workers must be fully vaccinated. The order, which includes physicians, nurses, technicians, janitors and other workers in hospitals, dialysis centers, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, substance abuse centers and other facilities, remains one of the most stringent in the country. Only limited medical and religious exemptions are allowed. On Tuesday, state health officials issued a new order that extended the mandate to in-home, hospice, disability center and senior center health care workers, but gave them an extra two months to comply, until Nov. 30. (Hwang, 9/29)

The CT Mirror: Sixty Percent Of State Workers Are Vaccinated As Deadline Looms
Two days after the deadline for 32,000 executive branch employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or face weekly testing, about 60% of the workers have shown proof of inoculation, Gov. Ned Lamont said Wednesday. Some 19,000 executive branch staff had submitted the documentation as of Tuesday. Another 3,000, or about 10%, filed paperwork demonstrating they are following the weekly testing requirement for workers who opt out of vaccination. The remaining 10,000 employees, about 30%, have yet to hand in paperwork. (Carlesso, 9/29)

San Francisco Chronicle: Nearly 300 S.F. Police Officers Remain Unvaccinated. Department Plans Reassignments To Maintain Policing Services
So many San Francisco police officers have yet to get COVID-19 vaccinations that officials are preparing to shuffle assignments to ensure that the city can provide core policing services regardless of the number of unvaccinated officers — and whether they remain employed — according to a departmental email obtained by The Chronicle. Police Chief Bill Scott sent the email to the department staff Wednesday saying that 313 department employees — 267 officers and 46 unsworn staffers — remain unvaccinated. The department has 2,835 employees, including 2,122 officers. (Cabanatuan, 9/29)

AP: Police Challenge To Denver Vaccine Mandate Is Dismissed
A judge on Wednesday dismissed an attempt by a group of Denver police officers to block the city’s vaccine mandate from taking effect. In a lawsuit filed last week, seven officers claimed the city lacked the authority to impose the mandate under a local disaster emergency declared by Mayor Michael Hancock at the beginning of the pandemic. They noted Democratic Gov. Jared Polis rescinded his statewide emergency pandemic order in July. The officers said the city should have instead followed the more drawn-out process laid out in state law to impose regulations. (Slevin, 9/29)

AP: Arkansas Bill Creates Antibody Exemption For Vaccine Mandate
Arkansas lawmakers on Wednesday advanced legislation that would allow workers to opt out of their employer’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement if they’re tested weekly or can prove they have natural antibodies. The House and Senate Public Health committees endorsed identical versions of the bill, which also would require the state to pay unemployment benefits to workers who are fired for not getting vaccinated. The bills are among several limiting or prohibiting private vaccine mandates working their way through the majority-Republican Legislature. (DeMillo, 9/29)

AP: AT&T To Require Vaccines For 90,000 Of Its Union Workers
AT&T has become one of the largest employers in the U.S. to mandate vaccines for a significant number of frontline workers. The telecom company said Wednesday that its employees in the Communications Workers of America union will be required to be fully vaccinated by Feb. 1, “unless they get an approved job accommodation.” (Arbel, 9/29)

In updates on mask mandates —

Santa Cruz Sentinel: Santa Cruz County Officials Rescind Indoor Face Covering Mandate
Santa Cruz County residents and visitors are no longer required to wear a face covering indoors. On Wednesday morning, the county Health Services Agency released a statement that the county had moved from substantial transmission (orange) to moderate transmission (yellow) on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 data tracker. Because of this improvement, the mask mandate released by Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel on Aug. 19 has been lifted. (Hartman, 9/29)

AP: FedEx Forum Extends Mask Policy For Grizzlies, Memphis Games
FedEx Forum will continue requiring face masks everyone attending basketball games for NBA Memphis Grizzlies and University of Memphis Tigers games and other arena events regardless of vaccination status through the end of October. Wednesday’s announcement follows Shelby County’s health directive continuing its mask mandate. A release stated that unvaccinated spectators 12 years and older must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test at least 72 hours allowed to attend before Grizzlies and Tigers games, starting with the NBA club’s Oct. 20 home opener. Vaccinated fans must show proof of at least one dose for entry. (9/29)