Sisolak signs off on vaccine mandate for some state employees, contractors

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak attends a news conference about the state’s response to coronavirus Thursday, April 29, 2021, in Las Vegas.
AP Photo/John Locher

(Robert Davis) – Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak on Tuesday signed an emergency declaration requiring that some state employees and contractors get vaccinated following a unanimous vote of support from the state’s Board of Health.

The mandate requires employees who work with “vulnerable populations in state-operated, licensed health care settings or state-operated detention facilities” to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 1.

Some of the workplaces that the mandate applies to include, but are not limited to, the Caliente Youth Center, Desert Willow Treatment Center, and Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services Stein Hospital, among others.

Nevada instituted a vaccine mandate for its prison facility staff last Thursday, the Associated Press reported.

Those who wish to claim a religious or medical exemption to the directive must provide “all information reasonably necessary to evaluate the accommodation request, including the individual’s name, the requested accommodation, the basis for the accommodation request with supporting information, and the individual’s contact information,” according to the order.

“I am grateful to the Board of Health for passing an emergency regulation to require State staff who work with vulnerable populations in certain settings provide proof of COVID-19 vaccinations by November 1,” Sisolak said in a statement.

Last month, Sisolak’s medical advisory team recommended that all college students show proof of vaccination prior to registering for classes in the spring of 2022. The recommendation came after a review of the vaccination statuses of certain populations revealed that college students are among the least vaccinated in Nevada.

Data from the Nevada Health Response shows Nevada has a 14-day moving average of 892 new daily cases. Individuals between 20 and 29 years old make up 19% of the new cases, the highest total for any age group.

Only 53.55% of the eligible population in Nevada has been fully vaccinated.

By

Robert Davis | The Center Square contributor