Stanislaus County and its cities report limited employee COVID-19 vaccination data
While other California government agencies release COVID-19 vaccination statistics for their workers serving the public, Stanislaus County and some of its cities provided limited data Tuesday.
Modesto reported an employee vaccination rate lower than the city’s total percentage for residents age 12 and older, while the county said information on the number of vaccinated staff is unavailable.
As of late last week, 52.3% of Modesto city employees are vaccinated against COVID-19, Deputy City Manager Caluha Barnes said in an email. The rate is an increase from July, when Barnes said about 46.2% of full- and part-time workers were fully vaccinated. But of all Modesto residents currently eligible for the shots, 60.8% are fully vaccinated, per data presented to the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.
Modesto cannot share vaccination rates by department, such as for its police and fire departments, which often work with the public in person, Barnes said.
“The city coordinated vaccination clinics at a couple of our outlying sites, and continue to offer employees paid time off to get vaccinated,” Barnes said in an email.
To help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, Barnes said the city follows all Cal/OSHA guidelines and the county’s current indoor mask mandate regardless of vaccination status. Stanislaus County similarly said it follows safety protocols for unvaccinated employees as required by state and local health orders. The protocols include face coverings, daily symptom checks and isolation, quarantine and testing for those exhibiting symptoms.
Assistant Executive Officer Raul Mendez said the county has implemented COVID-19 vaccination policies consistent with requirements of California Department of Public Health orders. But the county has not imposed its own COVID-19 vaccination mandates beyond what’s required by the state.
“The county has implemented policies for testing and remote work that are in alignment with the requirements of CDPH and Cal/OSHA regulations,” Mendez said in an email. “The requirements vary depending on the job functions and work locations.”
Stanislaus County said information on the number of vaccinated county employees is not available.
In late July, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that state employees and health care workers must show proof of vaccination or get tested regularly. According to the California State Association of Counties, Newsom’s order applied to employees in facilities with high risk of exposure to COVID-19, including jails and homeless shelters.
Others give no COVID-19 vaccine updates
Turlock and Ceres, the county’s second- and third-largest cities, did not provide information on employee vaccination rates before The Bee’s deadline Tuesday. The Bee requested data from both cities on Thursday.
Ceres does not currently track employee vaccinations because neither the state nor county mandates collecting COVID-19 vaccination status, Human Resources Director Theresa Roland said in an email. The city continues to encourage vaccinations, is waiting for any new Cal/OSHA vaccine mandates and will respond accordingly, Roland added.
Turlock needed more time to respond, human resources analyst Jessie Dhami told The Bee in an email Tuesday. In July, Dhami said about 52% of Turlock city employees and volunteers reported getting vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Patterson City Manager Ken Irwin on Tuesday said 62% of both full-time and part-time employees are fully vaccinated. The vaccination rate among city residents age 12 and up is higher, at 68.9%, per the latest county public health data.
Patterson offers a $500 incentive for employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but is not mandating the shots, Irwin said in an email. By deadline, he had not responded to a question about when the incentive started.
Unvaccinated employees must also do daily temperature checks and attest they do not have any COVID-19 symptoms, Irwin said. The city also requires proof of vaccination or a negative test result to attend City Council meetings in person.
Cities including Sacramento have released data on their employee vaccination rates with department breakdowns. Last week, Sacramento reported it verified 79% of its employees are vaccinated, with the fire and police departments respectively reporting rates of 76% and 73%. Sacramento employees had until Oct. 15 to report their status or go on unpaid leave, per the city website.
This story was originally published November 3, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
