Employees at Cleveland-based MetroHealth who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 will be required to undergo weekly coronavirus testing, the health system said.
The weekly testing requirement for unvaccinated employees is scheduled to begin July 1.
Spokesperson Mike Tobin told Becker's that the mandate is based on maintaining patient safety and the safety of workers. He also noted that employees have had the opportunity to get vaccinated and still can be vaccinated before the mandate takes effect.
"A dedicated email address and phone number have been set up to answer medical questions from employees about safety and potential side effects," he said. "Employees are encouraged to get vaccinated, since the vaccines have proven to be safe, effective, and our best hope to returning to normal."
As of May 13, about 72 percent of MetroHealth's approximately 7,800 employees have received at least one dose, and about 70 percent are fully vaccinated.
Nationwide, 117,647,439 Americans, or 35.4 percent of the country's population, had been fully vaccinated as of 6 a.m. EDT May 12, according to the CDC's data.