Santa
Cruz County, CA
— Beginning in late October, Community Bridges will require all employees to
provide proof of Covid-vaccination or require a special accommodation request
for a religious or medical exemption, if eligible.
Several Bay Area counties recently urged employers to embrace vaccine requirements to address the Delta wave of Covid-19, that is disproportionately impacting unvaccinated individuals. These impacts have put additional pressure on the need for mandating vaccination across government and local public health allies.
According to Center for Disease Control Director Rochelle Walensky, we are now in a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.” More than 97% of Covid-related hospitalizations and deaths are tragically, individuals who have not been vaccinated.
“Part of stopping the spread of Covid-19 requires that we all act in community with one another and we sacrifice for the good our community,” said Community Bridges’ CEO Raymon Cancino. “There are young children and immune-compromised individuals in our community who need our help to protect them from this virus. Our organization provides care to many potentially vulnerable seniors and children, part of caring for them is keeping them safe from the virus by protecting ourselves and we can help to slow the impact of the disease.”
Community Bridges worked closely with its UTU and SEIU union representatives to ensure the policy offered options for individuals eligible for an exemption based on medical or religious grounds. But with 87% of its workforce already vaccinated, Community Bridges is nearly there.
Community Bridges employees will continue to mask when interacting with clients at any of its program locations. The organization asks that clients – regardless of vaccine status – continue to mask when interacting at CB facilities.
For information about how to obtain a Covid-19 vaccine, visit https://communitybridges.org/covid19/.
ABOUT COMMUNITY BRIDGES
Community
Bridges envisions a thriving community where every person has the opportunity
to unleash their full potential. Together, our family of programs delivers
essential services, provides equitable access to resources, and advocates for
health and dignity across every stage of life. To learn more, please visit www.communitybridges.org.
The Community Bridges family of programs includes the Child & Adult Care Food Program, Child Development Division, Women, Infants and Children (WIC), La Manzana Community Resources, Live Oak Community Resources, Mountain Community Resources, Nueva Vista Community Resources, Elderday Adult Day Health Care, Lift Line and Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County.
