Baltimore City Employees Should Get Vaccinated For COVID-19 Or Face Weekly Testing, Comptroller Says
BALTIMORE (WJZ) – City Comptroller Bill Henry on Wednesday urged Mayor Brandon Scott to implement what would amount to a vaccine mandate for city workers.
"Clearly, there are people who need some additional incentives," Henry said.
Henry cited a similar mandate in New York City, where workers must face weekly testing if not vaccinated by Sept. 13.
"I can't imagine why anyone would object to regular testing for city employees," Henry said.
Loyola University Maryland bioethicist Joseph Farrell compared such mandates to employee drug screening and said time is of the essence.
"The more people infected, the more chance of mutating the virus to different forms because of, frankly, stubbornness and legitimate fear," Farrell said. "If given the choice of either being vaccinated or tested, I can't imagine anyone having a problem with that."
A spokesman for the mayor said the administration is evaluating the idea.
"The Scott administration is sympathetic to this matter and currently evaluating the various legal and operational obstacles that inhibit a path forward," Communications Director Cal Harris said in a statement. "As jurisdictions gradually move in this direction, the mayor will continue to follow the guidance of health experts before making a decision."
On Thursday, President Joe Biden is set to mandate that all federal employees get vaccinated.
"It's under consideration right now," Biden said Tuesday. "But, if you're not vaccinated right now, you're not nearly as smart as I thought you were."
Outside of medical or religious reasons, Henry said, there is no excuse not to be vaccinated yet.
"Those are not sufficient reasons to continue to put your co-workers and the rest of the people of Baltimore at risk," Henry said.
