About 71% of Winter Park’s 540 employees provided COVID-19 vaccination proof by Wednesday for the city’s six-week incentive program, but the remaining workforce will soon be required to provide negative test results weekly under a new policy.
City spokesperson Clarissa Howard said Thursday in an email that the majority of employees voluntarily showed their vaccine card to Human Resources and claimed the $150 offer and a paid day off work.
As of Wednesday, 366 employees were fully vaccinated and an additional 10 employees received their first of two injections, according to an agenda report for next week’s commission meeting.
The testing protocol for unvaccinated workers begins Monday. Employees will be allowed to remain on the clock for testing at a city-approved location or can be tested on their own time and at their own expense.
Last week, commissioners approved the consequences of violating the policy, which will have a deadline each week to submit a negative test result.
Discipline for non-compliance begins with unpaid leave, but can escalate to termination.
Under the policy, there is an exemption for anyone who can’t be immunized because of medical reasons or religious beliefs, but forging documents for those exemptions, a vaccine card or test result could also lead to an employee being fired.
The city estimates testing will cost between $22-$25 per person, which will be funded by money received through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Commissioners have said they are prepared to consider a vaccine mandate, following policies by some public agencies in Orange County.
But the decision to weigh a vaccine mandate in Winter Park depended on whether at least 65% of city employees submitted vaccination cards when the incentive program ended.
Florida passed 50,000 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday as the state increased its overall death count by 1,554, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
lgarza@orlandosentinel.com
