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Lamont urges Connecticut agencies to prepare for staffing shortages

With Connecticut’s vaccine mandate on state government employees looming, the governor is urging agencies to be prepared for staffing shortages.

The mandate requires employees to show proof they are fully vaccinated or submit to weekly testing, beginning at 11:59 p.m. Monday. Employees who do not comply with the state’s vaccination mandate, will be placed on unpaid leave, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

Gov. Ned Lamont said the state will prepare for the worst as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, and he has instructed the National Guard to be ready for activation to provide critical health and safety services.

National Guard members would be utilized until replacement employees are hired or more employees become compliant with the mandate.

“I continue to remain optimistic that our employees will submit their testing and vaccination information quickly,” Lamont said in the release. “But as we have done throughout the pandemic, we will prepare for the worst to prevent impacts to the critical services the state provides. The health and safety of our employees and the people of Connecticut remain our top priority. We have provided most state employees with the option to get tested weekly instead of getting vaccinated, providing more flexibility than our neighboring states.

“We have also provided our employees with a compliance grace period. There is no reason all our employees should not be in compliance. I continue to count on state employees to lead by example and to respect their co-workers and the public by complying with this executive order, which is the law.”

According to the release, more than 20,000 workers have documented proof they are fully vaccinated, which is about 63% of the state’s workforce. Nearly 4,000 have begun weekly testing, and more than 8,000 are in non-compliance. The number of employees gaining compliance shrunk by 2,000 late this week.

This article was originally posted on Lamont urges Connecticut agencies to prepare for staffing shortages

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