With the spread of the highly infectious delta variant of COVID-19, one Central Ohio official is taking action in his office.
Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor will begin requiring his employees to be vaccinated or be tested weekly for the virus beginning in early September.
This makes the recorder the first non-judicial elected officeholder to make such a requirement, which O鈥機onnor said he is pleased about.
鈥淲e鈥檙e proud of that. We鈥檙e proud to lead on this issue,鈥� O鈥機onnor said. 鈥淭his is a time for bold leadership and we鈥檝e got to get going.鈥�
O鈥機onnor said the country has had the tools to fight the virus for months but has not been doing enough.
鈥淩ight now we鈥檙e at a point of national peril,鈥� O鈥機onnor said. 鈥淲e have a delta variant that is emerging that is extremely problematic. It is causing children to be infected at a more contagious and a higher rate.鈥�
Similar measures are being taken by others locally. Central Ohio hospitals are requiring employees to get vaccinated this fall. PromoWest Venues, including Express Live and Newport Music Hall, will require proof of vaccination to attend their shows beginning in October.
Ohio lawmakers in September will debate whether businesses can require their employees to be vaccinated.
O鈥機onnor said the high economic and personal stakes of the virus were factors in the decision he made for his office.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a decision that we made lightly, but it鈥檚, to us, too important of a decision not to make,鈥� O鈥機onnor said, while adding that he encourages Franklin County residents to ask their doctor about whether they should be vaccinated. O鈥機onnor said the answer to that question 鈥渨ill pretty much always be yes.鈥�
鈥淭his is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and every single one of us, every single American needs to be in this fight,鈥� he said.
