Puerto Rico requires vaccination against Covid-19 for government employees
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro R. Pierluisi, ordered on Wednesday, July 28, that as of August 16, territorial government agencies must require all employees who work in-person to be properly vaccinated against the coronavirus, given the increase in the number of infections recorded in recent days.
It is also recommended that municipalities, the Judicial and Legislative Branches, and private employers follow suit through an executive order.
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Exempted from the order are employees whose immune system is compromised, allergic to vaccines, or have any other medical contraindication that prevents vaccination. This condidtion must be certified by a licensed physician in Puerto Rico.
In addition, the physician must indicate the duration of the medical contraindication. Once the medical contraindication ceases, the person will have to comply with the vaccination requirement.
On the other hand, employees are allowed, as an exception, not to be vaccinated for religious reasons, as long as the vaccination is against the dogmas of the employee’s religion.
To comply with this exception, the employee must present an affidavit from a minister of the religion or sect, certifying under oath and subject to perjury that because of their religious beliefs, they cannot be inoculated against covid-19.
“We have been immersed for a year and a half in this pandemic that has shaken us all. Puerto Rico began with a good pattern of vaccinations, and, unfortunately, there is a sector of the population that, despite having the resources available, has not been vaccinated, except for those who for medical or religious reasons are prevented from doing so,” Pierluisi said at a press conference.
“Given this situation, and with the health of all Puerto Ricans who work in government agencies and those who go to perform daily procedures as a priority, I signed this Executive Order because vaccination is the solution,” he reiterated, after stressing that there are precedents and legal grounds to require vaccination, which was supported by the federal Department of Justice.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 2,574 people have died on the island, and today 140 have been hospitalized, 27 more than yesterday, as well as a positivity rate of 7.2 percent.
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