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