The City of Evanston just announced that it will implement a mandatory COVID vaccination policy for City staff effective November 15.
The policy, which applies to all City staff, including seasonal and part-time workers, contractors, volunteers, and interns, requires staff members to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or to provide weekly COVID-19 test results to the City’s Health & Human Services Department.
Vaccination exemptions may be granted to staff for medical conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs.
“Getting vaccinated is the single most important action we can take to protect ourselves, our families, our coworkers, and our community from COVID-19,” said Mayor Daniel Biss. “This mandate will help keep our staff and residents safe, and I am grateful to Interim City Manager Kelley Gandurski and the rest of our team for acting swiftly to put this critical measure in place.”
“The City of Evanston is committed to protecting the health and safety of staff and the greater Evanston community,” said Interim City Manager Kelley Gandurski. “Thank you to Health and Human Services Director Ike Ogbo for his guidance and input, and to the City’s Human Resources Division and Law Department for crafting a policy that will improve our City’s resiliency and response to this pandemic.”
To date, more than 82 percent of City of Evanston employees are vaccinated against COVID-19, officials said. The City’s goal is to reach a staff vaccination rate as close as possible to 100 percent, understanding that some staff members have medical or religious reasons for not receiving the vaccine.