TAMPA, Fla. — City employees unvaccinated against COVID-19 no longer have to test weekly for the virus, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor announced in a letter.
However, there is a caveat: Those who opt out of the weekly test will not accrue emergency sick leave, reads the directive sent to city employees. Unvaccinated employees still can submit to weekly tests and still qualify for the one-week maximum of leave.
The announcement is a slight change in policy to the city's vaccine mandate issued toward the end of August.
Castor says she couldn't be more proud of the city's employees for helping to increase the vaccination rate from 60 percent prior to the policy to 70 percent today. An additional 14 percent of 4,800 employees, Castor wrote in the letter, documented they had antibodies.
"Having 84 percent of our workforce with a significant level of protection is something we can all be proud of," Castor said. "...This step reflects the significant improvement in our vaccination rate and the reduction in COVID cases in our community.
"We will remain vigilant against this deadly threat, but we should celebrate the success we have had to date. It is thanks to you."
Unvaccinated employees still need to wear the provided N95 or KN95 masks, according to the directive.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is vaccinated, is against vaccine mandates. He and Attorney General Ashley Moody announced Thursday the state is suing President Joe Biden and other federal entities over the government's requirement for its workers and those who do business with it.
Although, according to doctors, data shows vaccine mandates are effective in curbing the spread of COVID-19, Moody called the federal mandate "a complete and gross overreach of the federal government into the personal autonomy of American workers."