PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Allegheny County staff have till midnight to indicate proof of COVID vaccination or face dropping their jobs. However confronted with the prospect of unemployment, it seems the variety of holdout workers will probably be lower than anticipated.
County Government Wealthy Fitzgerald says the overwhelming majority of staff have already complied.
READ MORE: Allegheny County Worker Explains Why He’s Prepared To Lose His Job Over Vaccine Requirement
“Overwhelming assist. Effectively over 90 % have put of their paperwork and so we actually anticipate a excessive quantity,” he mentioned.
However departments that had anticipated a excessive variety of holdouts say there are far fewer than anticipated. Greater than 100 corrections officers on the jail have been anticipated to stay unvaccinated however as of Wednesday, lower than a dozen haven’t proven proof. Of 204 sheriff deputies and civilian workers, solely two haven’t complied.
“Initially, there have been lots of people who have been dug in and so they have been going to face termination however as time went on they’ve turned in vaccination information,” mentioned Sheriff-Elect Kevin Kraus.
READ MORE: On Eve Of Vaccine Deadline, Number Of Allegheny County Employees Refusing Vaccination Appears Low
Nonetheless, parks employee Shane Chesher says as a Christian, he objects to the reported use of aborted fetal cells to check vaccines and went to a listening to Wednesday morning with out that proof of vaccination.
Chesher: “They informed me tomorrow, I’m terminated if I don’t current my vaccination standing by 11:59 p.m.”
Andy Sheehan: “And what are you going to do?”
Chesher: “I’m going to stroll the stroll. I’m not going to speak the discuss. I’ll be fired tomorrow as a result of I didn’t adjust to the vaccine mandate in opposition to my non secular beliefs.”
“These are the identical individuals we extolled, informed how courageous they have been, serving the general public and right this moment we’re going to terminate them,” mentioned county Councilman Sam DeMarco. “If the numbers are so few, so few in quantity, why are we going to take their jobs from them, particularly proper earlier than the vacations?” he mentioned.
Fitzgerald mentioned the order, whereas painful, is important.
“We’re not trying to do away with individuals, we’re not trying to lose their jobs. We would like individuals to step as much as serve the county however to qualify as a county worker you have to be vaccinated,” mentioned Fitzgerald.
