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Wednesday, August 11, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 9 Oregon healthcare workers to get COVID vaccine or be tested By Sara Cline The Associated Press/Report for America PORTLAND (AP) 4 Oregon healthcare workers will be required to be vac- cinated or undergo weekly testing, Gov. Kate Brown announced Wednesday. Officials say the new rule will apply beginning September 30 4 giving time for employers to pre- pare for implementation and for unvaccinated health care workers to become fully vaccinated. <The more contagious Delta variant has changed everything. This new safety measure is necessary to stop Delta from causing severe ill- ness among our first line of defense: our doctors, nurses, medical students, and front- line healthcare workers,99 Brown said. Brown directed the Oregon Health Authority to issue the new rule, which applies broadly to personnel in healthcare settings who have direct or indirect contact with patients or infectious materials. The rule requires weekly COVID-19 testing for personnel and can be waived with proof of vaccination. A state law enacted in 1989 prohibits employers from independently man- dating vaccines for certain limited categories of workers, including healthcare workers. But a spokesperson from the governor9s office says the new rule does not conflict with the law. <This is not a require- ment for vaccination, rather, the OHA administrative rule gives healthcare personnel a choice between weekly test- ing or providing proof of vaccination,= said Charles Boyle, Brown9s deputy com- munications director. In addition, Brown says she intends to work with stakeholders and lawmakers to address the existing law during the February 2022 legislative session. As COVID-19 surges across the State, leading health organizations 4 including the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems 4 have been pressing State leaders to open the door for healthcare orga- nizations to enact vaccination mandates. The Oregon Nurses Association and Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems applauded the governor9s directive. <This is a reasonable and sensible approach, which respects the individual choices of healthcare work- ers while also protecting public health,99 the Oregon Nurses Association said in a statement. On Monday, officials at Kaiser Permanente, one of Oregon9s largest private health systems, announced that healthcare workers, along with the rest of its staff, would be required to get vac- cinated. The only exemptions are for medical or religious reasons. <Making vaccination mandatory is the most effec- tive way we can protect our people, our patients, and the communities we serve,99 CEO Greg A. Adams said in an online statement. Kaiser serves approxi- mately 12.5 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. So far nearly 78 percent of the 216,000 employees have been vac- cinated and 95 percent of Permanente Medical Group9s 23,000 physicians. In a statement sent to Oregon Public Broadcasting, K a i s e r 9s D i r e c t o r o f Integrated Communications Michael G. Foley acknowl- edged Oregon9s 1989 law, but said <because of the growing seriousness of the current situation, the new risks and increased cases caused by the Delta variant, as well as the priority to keep patients and employees safe, we will act to apply the vaccination requirement in the Northwest region.99 Kaiser is working with state health officials and the governor to <support vac- cination to the fullest extent permitted by law and any future guidance,99 Foley said. RVSTORAGE RENTAL Fully fenced facility Well-lit driveways Professional onsite management • Large organic produce selection • Huge organic & natural selection storewide Local is what we are. Local is who we love. Self storage pricing at SISTERSRENTALCOM 541-549-9631 WBarclayDrSisters Mon-Fri: 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. • Meat cut & ground fresh daily • Huge bulk-foods department • All your favorite local brands & items • Only 20 minutes from Sisters Located in the Cascade Village Shopping Center, Bend Open every day, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Isolated shopping hour: 6 to 7 a.m. • Proud to be 100% locally owned & operated