City Of Boston: MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCES VACCINATION MANDATE FOR CITY OF BOSTON EMPLOYEES

Press release from the City of Boston:

August 12, 2021

BOSTON - Thursday, August 12, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey today announced the City of Boston’s policy regarding vaccinations for City employees. As an employer of 18,000 workers, the new policy will require employees to report their COVID-19 vaccination status or submit to weekly testing. Following conversations with City leadership and municipal unions, Mayor Janey’s vaccination verification or required testing mandate will be phased in over two months. The goal of the requirement is to protect the health, safety and economic recovery of our staff and residents served. Through this policy, the City seeks to minimize exposure to and transmission of COVID-19 in the workplace.

“On behalf of the educators of the Boston Teachers Union, we support these steps to protect our students and communities. We look forward to working with the district and city on the particulars of implementation in regards to accommodations and exemptions for those who need them,” said Jessica Tang, President, Boston Teachers Union. “We applaud Mayor Janey for proactively taking action to ensure the safety of students, the safety of educators and the safety of the public. This policy feels consistent with prior policies around vaccinating against other dangerous viruses and diseases. It is our belief that public health policies like this should be made with input from those impacted by the policy, and we appreciate the diligent work Mayor Janey has done with her administration to consider worker voices in this process, and to do what is best and safest for Boston as a whole.”

This press release was produced by the City of Boston. The views expressed here are the author’s own.