Minnesota to require COVID shots or tests for state workers

By STEVE KARNOWSKI47 minutes

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota state government employees will be required to prove they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 or agree to undergo weekly testing before they can return to the office, Gov. Tim Walz announced Wednesday.

State agency employees who work in person will be required to show proof of vaccination and attest to their immunization status by Sept. 8, the announcement said. Employees who haven’t been vaccinated by then will be required to test negative for the coronavirus at least once a week to work on site.

“Vaccination is the best way to keep employees and the people we serve safe and ensure the delta variant does not derail our economic recovery,” Walz, a Democrat, said in the statement.

Walz administration officials met before the announcement with leaders of the state’s public employee unions to discuss how the new requirements will be implemented. The two biggest unions representing state government workers said they still have questions, and one union leader said they weren’t briefed until Wednesday morning. About 57% of the state’s 35,700 executive branch employees are currently required to be in the office.

The governor’s announcement included a reminder that unvaccinated Minnesotans who get their first shot between July 30 and Aug. 15 can go to a state website to claim a $100 gift card as a reward.

Megan Dayton, president of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, which represents about 15,000 white-collar workers, said the unions would have liked to have been more involved with developing the new rules.

“I’m not hearing a lot of opposition, but there are a ton of questions about this policy and things that weren’t thought through and maybe should have been before this was released,” Dayton said in an interview.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 5, which represents more than 18,000 state workers, said it would keep working to address their concerns while promoting the safety and efficacy of vaccines to its members.

“In light of the resurgence of the COVID-19 virus, we will continue to work with all employers to ensure that workers’ voices, ideas, and concerns are truly heard in the decision-making process with regard to vaccine and testing mandates, their impacts, and questions/concerns regarding the implementation of the mandate,” Julie Bleyhl, the union’s executive director, said in a statement.

Republicans in the Legislature reacted coolly to the vaccine mandate. The requirements do not apply to the Legislature. The Republican-controlled Senate continues to let staff and members work remotely and to choose whether to wear masks or get vaccinated. The Democratic-controlled House imposed a mask mandate on Tuesday.

https://apnews.com/article/health-minnesota-coronavirus-pandemic-49d0c70b1e2dc5b6669880d7a7598a63