PUEBLO — On Wednesday, Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar signed an order that would require any new city employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The rule would also apply to those employed with Pueblo Transit.
New employees can also present a "qualifying exemption," Those include:
- a medical condition that would prevent the applicant from receiving the COVID-19 vaccination
- applicant's sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance which conflicts with and prevents the applicant from receiving the COVID-19 vaccination;
- proof that the applicant has a positive COVID-19 IgG antibody test.
New employees are also expected to be "fully vaccinated" on the date of hire. According to Pueblo, a person is fully vaccinated either two weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine.
Pueblo County now has one of the highest rates of COVID-19 per 100,000 people in the entire state.
The Pueblo County Health Department says currently, schools, child care centers, extracurricular activities, clubs and sports account for the highest proportion of newly reported outbreaks in Pueblo County.
Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar says he does not foresee businesses closing down again, like this time last year. However, he does say if COVID-19 cases do not see a downward trend in Pueblo County, there is a strong chance that children will have to resort back to online learning.
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