LANSING, Mich. — As COVID numbers continue to rise, Ingham County officials are considering a plan that would make getting a COVID vaccine mandatory for county employees.
An Ingham County Board of Commissioners subcommittee introduced a proposal this week to mandate the COVID vaccine for all county employees.
The change would impact well over 1,000 people working in various roles for the county.
“Its personal for me and I also think it's good policy. So I do support having some mandate and having the testing option for folks," said Commissioner Derrell Slaughter. "Look we are not out of the woods. We are still in this pandemic. We’re trying to get out of it but we need to do our part as a county and set an example.”
There have been more than 23,000 COVID cases in Ingham County since the pandemic began and almost 400 deaths.
The proposed vaccine mandate would require county employees to get the shot or be tested on a daily basis for the virus.
In Lansing, Mayor Andy Schor says they are encouraging employees to get the vaccine but have no plans to make it mandatory.
“We are not going towards a vaccine mandate," he said. "We are certainly highly encouraging city workers to be vaccinated. We are requiring masks in City Hall for everybody for public spaces, but we are not moving down that path."
In East Lansing, officials aren’t currently looking at implementing a vaccine mandate for workers, Mayor Jessy Gregg wrote in an email, but they are being vigilant about watching the case count and are prepared to make changes as needed.
The County Commission will consider the proposed vaccine mandate again next month after human resources and the county's legal team have had a chance to discuss the plan with unions representing county workers.
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