Lake Co. Board OKs Vaccine Requirement For Employees

LAKE COUNTY, IL — The Lake County Board voted earlier this month to require county employees to either show proof that they've received their COVID-19 vaccine or undergo weekly testing.

During an Oct. 12 meeting, the board voted 16-5 in favor of a resolution to enact a COVID-19 vaccination and testing policy. All county employee must show proof that they've received their vaccine by Jan. 15, 2022.

For those who are not fully vaccinated, weekly testing is an option. Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart said testing will not be offered at the county administration building but is available at the county's West Water Street location in Waukegan.

Employees who fail to comply with the vaccine requirement or the required testing schedule will be subject to discipline, up to and including unpaid suspension, according to the county's policy. Employees may request accommodations from the vaccination requirement for medical or religious reasons.

The purpose of requiring the vaccine is to ensure the health and safety of all county employees, county officials said.

"I am confident a vaccine or testing policy is something that will keep our employees safe and it keeps the public safe," Hart said during the recent meeting. "Our vaccination rates here in Lake County really show that people are ready for this pandemic to end. We are ready to get our life back in order, we're ready to protect our seniors our young children, all of us and make sure we are safe."

County board members debated the policy for over an hour, with a handful of members voicing their opposition to the plan. County board member Kevin Hunter, who cast a "no" vote for the policy, said he and his family are fully vaccinated, but he does not think it should be required for all county employees or a workforce. He said he had concerns over the legal ramifications of requiring vaccines or testing.

"I really feel that it's an overreach of our body to get involved with personal medical matters that should remain between people and their medical provider," he said. "Nearly 70,000 people have tested positive in Lake County in the past year and a half. I feel like we're getting ahead of our headlights with this. I just don't think that this is something, being a trendsetter, is something I'm comfortable with."

Lake County is among a handful of municipal governments in the Chicago area that have enacted vaccine policies. The cities of Chicago and Evanston both set up similar rules for their employees in recent weeks.

• Mayor Sues Police Union President Over Chicago Vaccine Mandates
• Evanston Mandates COVID-19 Vaccine Or Testing For City Employees

In Chicago, officials have clashed with their police union over the issue. The city and the Fraternal Order of Police have each filed suit against each other over the policy, which was due to take effect Saturday. More than a third of Chicago police officers have not submitted their vaccination status via the city's online portal, according to the mayor's office.

So far, some unions representing county staff have expressed an interest in bargaining, Abby Scalf, a communications specialist for Lake County, told Patch in an email response.

"This is something that some of our unions do wish to bargain either the impact of or effect of, but the county has not been pushed to bargain on the topic yet by any of the groups," Scalf said. "That could change."

In Lake County, 70 percent of residents who can receive the vaccine — which includes all residents over the age of 12 — have gotten it, according to public health data.

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