Pasadena prepares to implement vaccine mandate for employees

Pasadena city leaders are preparing to ramp up their coronavirus testing efforts among employees this week as the deadline to submit proof of vaccination draws near.

First announced by City Manager Steve Mermell last July shortly after Pasadena Health Officer Dr. Ying-Ying Goh announced her intentions to institute another indoor mask mandate, the Pasadena’s coronavirus vaccination policy requires all employees — including police and fire personnel — to be vaccinated by Friday, Sept. 17.

Those who are out of compliance, including those who are partially vaccinated or have an approved medical, disability or religious exemption, are required to be tested for coronavirus once a week as a condition of employment.

As the deadline nears, city officials have yet to disclose the percentage of employees who have received a jab, “but at this point we have a large number who have responded they are vaccinated,” Mermell said in a statement Tuesday.

The fully vaccinated rate for residents at large stands at 86%, according to the city’s dashboard.

Anticipating the need to test some unvaccinated employees weekly, the City Council authorized Mermell on Monday, Sept. 13 to enter into a contract with Mobile Health Medical Services PC. The city intends to use $925,000 from its designated American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for the agreement, which was first put to bid by the city’s Human Services Department a week after the mandate was announced. 

Mobile Health submitted the lowest cost proposal and has experience providing coronavirus testing and working with public entities and offers a software system for employees to securely schedule testing appointments, according to a staff report. The company’s ability to also provide the city with access to real-time results was another favorable component of the bid.

At a cost of $55 per Polymerase Chain Reaction test — the nose swab test many residents are all too familiar with — $925,000 would pay for almost 16,820 tests. The city employs slightly more than 2,000 employees, so the agreement should cover approximately 28 weeks worth of tests, staff said.

Mermell clarified Tuesday the timeframe is contingent upon how many employees receive an exemption due to medical, disability or sincerely held religious belief, but he believes the contract should cover the number of testing kits needed through the end of this fiscal year on June 30.

Once the program is fully implemented, Mobile Health will provide onsite testing services to city employees two days a week with scheduled blocks of appointments in the morning and afternoon.

As one of the first cities in the state to implement such an order, Mermell said he hopes Pasadena is setting an example to others, calling it “the right thing to do.”

“We have an obligation to protect our community and our city employees, many who interact on a daily basis and in emergency situations,” he added. “It’s reassuring to see other cities, businesses and organizations are following suit.”