CONTROLLER CHELSA WAGNER APPLAUDS FITZGERALD FOR REQUIRING EMPLOYEE VACCINATIONS

Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner issued the following statement regarding County Executive Rich Fitzgerald’s decision to require all County employees to be vaccinated:

“I applaud County Executive Fitzgerald on his decision today requiring all County employees to be vaccinated. So many of our County employees are public facing and provide vital in-person services to residents, most especially seniors in our Kane Regional Centers, incarcerated individuals in the County Jail, and those seeking vital human services; but also in our courtrooms, administrative offices and parks. No resident and no County employee deserves to be exposed to the dangerous and highly transmissible Delta variant by a service provider or co-worker employed by Allegheny County. This sensible decision will make our workplaces and facilities safer for all, especially vulnerable congregate settings like the Kane Centers and Jail, and help lead to finally bringing this pandemic under control in our community. Our workers have had long enough to discuss the benefits of and concerns about vaccination with their doctors; to see the clear evidence that vaccination is overwhelmingly safe and markedly reduces infection, serious illness, and death; and to access the vaccines in our County workplaces and many community settings. I thank County Executive Fitzgerald for his leadership in standardizing this science-based, highly effective and reasonable measure for our workers, and urge all County employees to comply as soon as possible, as I will the employees of my own office.”

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