All Baltimore County government employees will be required to provide proof coronavirus vaccination or submit weekly COVID-19 test results, County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. announced Thursday.
Baltimore County government will require full- and part-time employees to submit proof of vaccination or get an approved waiver for medical or religious reason by Oct. 15. Employees with an approved waiver will have to submit the results of weekly COVID-19 tests.
Olszewski said his new executive order will help reduce the spread of coronavirus among employees and visitors at county buildings.
“In local government, our work regularly brings us face to face with the people we serve,” Olszewski said during a news conference. “As such, our employees are at greater risk of contracting the virus in addition to spreading the virus to fellow employees, as well as the communities we serve.”
In response to rising case rates and hospitalizations in Baltimore County, fueled largely by the spread of the Delta variant, Olszewski declared a local state of emergency for the county on Aug. 24.
The Baltimore County Council on Aug. 30 approved and extended the state of emergency.
Baltimore County is currently experiencing substantial levels of coronavirus transmission, down from the high levels the county was seeing last week.
But as transmission levels remain significant, Olszewski said the vaccination requirement for county government was a necessary step to protect both county workers and members of the public.
“While we are making considerable progress together, the rapid and ongoing spread of the Delta variant demands that we take additional action to stop the spread and protect the health of both our employees and residents alike,” he said.
Baltimore County Administrative Officer Stacy Rodgers said the vaccination requirement will affect the county government’s approximately 9,000 full-time and part-time employees.
“Government is leading by example,” Rodgers said. “Workplace health and safety are shared responsibilities. We remain committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our employees who work in and members of the public who visit or conduct business in county buildings and facilities.”
County employees will be able to submit proof of vaccination starting Oct. 1 and must submit it by Oct. 15.
A little over 61% of county employees are at least partially vaccinated as of this week, Rodgers said.
She added that the county “will work very closely” with contractors’ employers to ensure their employees who are on site at county buildings are vaccinated.
Across Baltimore County, 76% of residents age 12 or older have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine as of Thursday, comprising more than 65% of the county’s total population, Olszewski said.
County employees must submit proof of at least partial vaccination by the Oct. 15 deadline, while proof of full vaccination will come some time later, Olszewski said.
Baltimore County currently considers someone fully vaccinated if they have received one dose of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, said Dr. Gregory Wm. Branch, the county’s .
Branch added that definition of “fully vaccinated” could change as booster shots become more widely available.
“What’s going to happen is as the CDC and FDA tells us that folks need to get the booster shots, then obviously ‘fully vaccination’ would include the booster shots,” he said.
President Joe Biden is slated to announce a vaccine mandate for federal workers Thursday afternoon. That requirement is expected to not include an option for COVID-19 testing in lieu of proof of vaccination.
Olszewski said his new executive order does include a testing option. He added that county officials will negotiate with union representatives to bargain details such as the testing option.
Olszewski urged all Baltimore County residents to get a COVID-19 vaccine if they have not received a shot already.
He also encouraged businesses and the state government to implement their own vaccine requirements for their employees.
“[P]ublic health is a shared responsibility and we can only put this pandemic behind us if all of us — all of us — do our part,” Olszewski said.
Olszewski also signed an executive order Thursday to extend outdoor dining permits, which were set to expire this week. Permits will remain active until 45 days after the end of the local state of emergency.
The county will expedite permit applications and waive licensing fees for outdoor tables, Olszewski said.
