The Monroe County commissioners paused their COVID-19 vaccine requirement for county employees Wednesday.
The policy was approved by the commissioners Jan. 5 in response to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's vaccine and testing standard. It requires all full-time and part-time Monroe County employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing.
County attorney Jeff Cockerill presented the addendum considering the U.S. Supreme Court placed a stay on OSHA’s standards Jan. 13. He said the change only pauses enforcement of the policy.
“It would keep them in place so that everybody will know ‘hey, if our rules change with OSHA, we know what the plan is,’” he said.
Cockerill said the availability of tests is an important factor in the decision.
“Testing facilities are really being overwhelmed,” county health administrator Penny Caudill said earlier in the meeting. “Results are taking much longer to come in. Home tests are difficult to get, and those are not reportable.”
Caudill said the Indiana Department of Health depleted its supply of rapid tests last week and is unsure when it will receive more.
“What they have distributed is what’s available at sites, and once those are gone, they’re gone,” she said.
Commissioners approved the change to the vaccine and testing policy by a 2-0 vote. Commissioner Julie Thomas was not present.
At-home tests
The federal government opened registration for free at-home COVID-19 tests Tuesday. Every home is eligible for four tests, and orders will usually ship in 7 to 12 days.
To order at-home tests, visit covidtests.gov.
