HARTFORD, Conn. — The number of state workers not compliant with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate is continuing to shrink, the governor said Thursday. However, those who refuse to get the shot or undergo weekly testing will be put on leave for 45 days before termination.
Gov. Ned Lamont, speaking at a gun violence press conference with other regional state leaders, said the number of state workers who have complied with the mask mandate is at 96%.
“I consider that pretty good news,” he said. “Ninety-six percent of anything is pretty good. We’re down to a small group."
The governor said the state is going to start holding people accountable who are not compliant with the vaccine mandate.
He said the outliers who don’t want to get the vaccine or undergo weekly testing will be put on unpaid leave starting next week for 45 days. After that, Lamont said, it is a “voluntary termination.”
“(They are) not eligible for unemployment is my understanding because we’ve got a job for you, you’ve gotta play by the rules – the vaccination or the testing rules,” Lamont said. “My understanding is it's unpaid leave for 45 days, after which it's sort of a voluntary termination. Maybe that's not quite the right word. But we have to fill your job, so when we've filled your job, it's not guaranteed when you come back, but we'll try and find something for you, if it hasn't been filled.”
Additionally, the governor announced the state's progress in compliance with executive orders requiring either COVID-19 vaccination or weekly testing among executive branch state employees.
78.5% of state employees are fully vaccinated, according to the report.
The following departments have the highest percentage of fully vaccinated employees:
- Workers’ Compensation Commission – just over 95% fully vaccinated
- Division of Criminal Justice – 94.4 % fully vaccinated
- Department of Public Health – 93.3% fully vaccinated.
The departments with highest percentage of non-compliant employees are:
- Department of Education and CT Tech Education and Career System – 7%
- Department of Economic and Community Development – just under 5%
- Mental Health and Addiction Services - 3.7%
To look at the larger picture, Connecticut has more than 30,000 employees. Right now, 671 are non-compliant, which is about 2.2%.
[To see the full breakdown by state department and office, click here.]
State workers had a deadline of Oct. 4 to submit proof of vaccination or agree to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.
According to Attorney General William Tong, the mandate is perfectly legal.
"There's just no question the governor has broad authority, the state has broad authority to require state employees to get vaccinated or to test and that's why we haven't lost a single case yet since COVID started," Tong said.
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