'Vast Majority' Of Aurora Staff Show Vaccine Proof, Test Results

AURORA, IL — Aurora City Hall employees who opted not to get their COVID-19 shots under the city's vaccine mandate had to start showing proof of testing results Monday. The "vast majority" of employees were in compliance prior to Monday, officials said on Facebook.

Employees were required to show proof of full vaccination by Oct. 18 and those who opted out are required to weekly proof of testing on Mondays. If a staff member doesn't comply with either option, officials said in a post that they'll be prohibited from reporting to work on city premises or using city vehicles.

It's unclear how many employees are vaccinated and how many are not complying with the mandate. Aurora officials did not respond to Patch's request for comment at the time of publication.

The mandate applies to everyone working at City Hall, including non-exempt, executive, seasonal, temporary and contracted employees as well as those working at the Aurora Fire Department.

"Under the new policy, the City reserves the right to mandate alternative testing protocols, to impose discipline on those who refuse to comply, and the right to modify the protocol as deemed necessary," officials wrote in a Facebook post published Monday.

Currently in Kane County, more than 57 percent of residents are fully vaccinated, and that number is significantly higher in parts of Aurora. In zip codes 60503 and 60504, about 64 percent have been vaccinated, according to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Comparably, roughly 40 percent of residents in the 60505 zip code in East Aurora have received their COVID-19 shots.

In Illinois, the number of unionized state workers who have who are required to get a COVID-19 shot totals almost 10,000 people. About 7,800 public sector employees were added to that sum Monday when the state reached an agreement with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Patch reported.

Under the new agreement, employees at facilities managed by the Illinois Department of Human Services and the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs have to get the first dose of the vaccine by Tuesday and the second by Nov. 30, according to the governor's office.

RELATED:

• 7,800 More IL Public Workers Now Under Vaccine Mandates: Governor
  
• Kane County Officials Prep Vaccine Rollout For Young Children
• Kane, Kendall County Sheriffs Won't Send Personnel To Chicago

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