Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the state’s health care workers. Health care workers will have until Oct. 1 to be fully vaccinated. “With this requirement, we’re protecting health care workers. We’re protecting their patients, including our most vulnerable people, and we’re protecting our health care capacity,” Mills said.Mills said health care workers include any individual employed by a hospital, multi-level health care facility, home health agency, nursing facility, residential care facility or intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities that are licensed by the state. The emergency rule also requires those employed by emergency medical service organizations or dental practices to be vaccinated for COVID-19. No new state of emergency was required to issue the mandate. Mills said the state has the authority to issue it under an existing law requiring vaccines, such as measles, mumps and rubella and the flu, for health care workers. Only medical exemptions will be allowed.Mills said that even though 80% of Maine adults are fully vaccinated, more can be done. Nursing and assisted living home workers lag, with a 70% vaccination rate.A third of the 93 long-term care facilities in Maine had already decided to issue a vaccine mandate for employees.”You and your family have every right to expect that everybody who cares for you in that institution, in that facility, is fully vaccinated, not only against mumps and measles and influenza and chicken pox, but against this deadly, deadly virus,” Mills said.The Maine Hospital Association, Maine Medical Association and Maine Health Care Association, as well as other health care agencies and organizations, expressed support for the mandate.Nurses are also on board with the requirement but have asked for religious exemptions. Maine Republicans said a vaccine mandate should come from employers and not the government.The governor’s announcement was expected. A spokeswoman for the governor said earlier this week that Mills was strongly considering the mandate.Maine has seen a steady increase in COVID-19 cases over the past month.The seven-day average for new daily cases was 161.4 as of Thursday, compared to 27.6 a month ago.The more contagious delta variant accounted for 86% of positive COVID-19 samples that were sequenced in July.The state’s largest health care providers, MaineHealth and Northern Light Health, have previously announced vaccine mandates for their employees.MaineHealth has given employees until Oct. 1 to be vaccinated against the virus.Northern Light is giving employees two weeks to get vaccinated from when FDA gives the vaccines full approval.MaineHealth and Northern Light said they will allow religious and medical exemptions. Employees with approved exemptions will need to be tested for COVID-19 twice a week until the pandemic is over.
AUGUSTA, Maine —
Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the state’s health care workers.
Health care workers will have until Oct. 1 to be fully vaccinated.
“With this requirement, we’re protecting health care workers. We’re protecting their patients, including our most vulnerable people, and we’re protecting our health care capacity,” Mills said.
Mills said health care workers include any individual employed by a hospital, multi-level health care facility, home health agency, nursing facility, residential care facility or intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities that are licensed by the state.
The emergency rule also requires those employed by emergency medical service organizations or dental practices to be vaccinated for COVID-19.
No new state of emergency was required to issue the mandate. Mills said the state has the authority to issue it under an existing law requiring vaccines, such as measles, mumps and rubella and the flu, for health care workers. Only medical exemptions will be allowed.
Mills said that even though 80% of Maine adults are fully vaccinated, more can be done. Nursing and assisted living home workers lag, with a 70% vaccination rate.
A third of the 93 long-term care facilities in Maine had already decided to issue a vaccine mandate for employees.
“You and your family have every right to expect that everybody who cares for you in that institution, in that facility, is fully vaccinated, not only against mumps and measles and influenza and chicken pox, but against this deadly, deadly virus,” Mills said.
The Maine Hospital Association, Maine Medical Association and Maine Health Care Association, as well as other health care agencies and organizations, expressed support for the mandate.
Nurses are also on board with the requirement but have asked for religious exemptions. Maine Republicans said a vaccine mandate should come from employers and not the government.
The governor’s announcement was expected. A spokeswoman for the governor said earlier this week that Mills was strongly considering the mandate.
Maine has seen a steady increase in COVID-19 cases over the past month.
The seven-day average for new daily cases was 161.4 as of Thursday, compared to 27.6 a month ago.
The more contagious delta variant accounted for 86% of positive COVID-19 samples that were sequenced in July.
The state’s largest health care providers, MaineHealth and Northern Light Health, have previously announced vaccine mandates for their employees.
MaineHealth has given employees until Oct. 1 to be vaccinated against the virus.
Northern Light is giving employees two weeks to get vaccinated from when FDA gives the vaccines full approval.
MaineHealth and Northern Light said they will allow religious and medical exemptions. Employees with approved exemptions will need to be tested for COVID-19 twice a week until the pandemic is over.