All employees of the County of Bucks, including court employees, who do not have a religious or medical exemption must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by late October.
Informed of the mandate via email Wednesday, county employees in all departments will be required to receive at least one dose of vaccine, or to have filed a request for exemption by Sept. 17. The county will be working with vendors and contractors to ensure all non-county workers who work in county buildings also are vaccinated.
“When you work for your local, county, state or federal government, the job comes with an inherent duty and commitment to protect and serve the public,” said Diane Ellis-Marseglia, chair of the Board of Commissioners. “Getting vaccinated protects not just our employees – and we need healthy employees in order to assist the public – but also serves to strengthen our community’s resistance to this killer virus, keeping everyone safe, keeping kids in school, and keeping businesses open.”
County employees who are not exempt from vaccination must receive two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by Oct. 29, per the mandate agreed upon unanimously by the three commissioners.
Those who do not comply with the vaccine mandate will be released from employment. Vaccination also will be required for all new hires.
A nearly identical mandate for court employees was issued Wednesday by President Judge Wallace H. Bateman Jr.
To make vaccination as convenient as possible, the county will be allowing workers time to visit nearby clinics during work hours, and will continue hosting pop-up vaccination clinics at county facilities.
The latest round of mandates comes two days before all employees of the county Department of Corrections are required to have either received a first vaccine dose or filed a request for exemption.
The county mandated vaccination for employees of Neshaminy Manor Nursing Home earlier this year.
Across all departments, the County of Bucks employs some 2,400 people.
To find the vaccination clinics nearest you, text your zip code to 438829.
Media Contact: James O’Malley, 215-348-6414, [email protected]