Employees of the City of Rockville will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Monday, Nov. 15, unless exempt for religious or medical reasons, under a new policy adopted by the Mayor and Council.
COVID-19, including the highly contagious delta variant, continues to pose a serious health risk, especially to individuals who are not fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Maryland Department of Health, and the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent transmission and the severity of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.
Employees with approved exemptions will be required to undergo mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing. The policy covers temporary, part- and full-time employees who work onsite and remotely.
All new hires must receive at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before starting work and complete any additional required doses, in the timeframes established by the CDC, to be considered fully vaccinated.
The employee vaccine mandate comes among several recent actions taken by the city to curb transmission of COVID-19 and protect the community against the spread of the highly contagious delta variant, such as canceling October’s Rocktobierfest and Antique and Classic Car Show; reinstating mandatory face-covering requirements for all employees and visitors, aged 2 and older, to Rockville facilities; and continuing to conduct Mayor and Council and boards and commissions meetings remotely.
Information about testing and vaccinations can be found on Montgomery County’s COVID-19 Information portal at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19.
To learn more about how to get a vaccination, go to www.GoVaxMoco.com.