TUCSON, Ariz. — City employees in Tucson will be mandated to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the city’s mayor.
Mayor Regina Romero tweeted the message Friday night, and city leaders said employees must submit proof that they have received at least one dose by August 24.
Arizona’s second-largest city directly employs more than 2,200 people, according to career website Zippia.
Romero also encouraged private employers to enact a similar requirement. Some of the state’s largest employers in healthcare have required workers to receive protection against the virus or face termination.
The mandate received pushback from some workers and sparked small protests towards the decision, although it is fully within a company’s right to mandate the vaccine.
Three COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have been approved by the FDA. Some side effects have been reported, particularly for the Johnson & Johnson shot, but health officials across the world have concluded that the vaccine is safe.
The virus has led to the deaths of more than 600,000 people in the US so far, and unvaccinated people have accounted for an overwhelming majority of current COVID-19 infections.
The CDC has also encouraged people to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.
Cases have been on the rise in Arizona due to the more infectious delta variant of COVID-19.
RELATED: Yes, it is legal for an employer to require vaccinated and unvaccinated workers to be separated
COVID-19 Vaccine
Subscribe to the 12 News YouTube channel to receive notifications on the latest videos about the coronavirus vaccine and the developments on the distribution in the United States.
