https://news.yahoo.com/los-angeles-county-sheriff-wont-162830237.html
Associated Press
Los Angeles County sheriff won't enforce vaccine mandate
FILE - In this Sept. 10, 2020, file photo Los Angeles County Sheriff
Alex Villanueva speaks at a news conference in Los Angeles. Villanueva
says he will not enforce the county's vaccine mandate in his agency.
Villanueva, who oversees the largest sheriff's department in the county
with roughly 18,000 employees, said Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, in a
Facebook Live event that he does not plan to carry out the county's
mandate, under which Los Angeles County employees had to be fully
vaccinated by Oct. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong,File)
Fri, October 8, 2021, 9:28 AM
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles County sheriff says he will not
enforce the county's vaccine mandate in his agency.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who oversees the largest sheriff's department
in the country with roughly 18,000 employees, said Thursday in a
Facebook Live event that he does not plan to carry out the county's
mandate, under which Los Angeles County employees had to be fully
vaccinated by Oct. 1.
The mandate was issued by executive order in August and allows only for
religious and medical exemptions. Villanueva said his employees are
willing to be terminated rather than get vaccinated.
“I don’t want to be in a position to lose 5, 10% of my workforce
overnight on a vaccine mandate,” the sheriff said.
More than 26,000 people have died of the coronavirus in Los Angeles
County, which is the nation's most populous county.
Of the county’s roughly 10 million residents, 78% have received at least
one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 69% are fully vaccinated, according to
public health officials.
Health officials said the county has reported 14 deaths a day, on
average, even though deaths and hospitalization figures have plunged by
some 50% since late August.
Villanueva's announcement came a day after the city of Los Angeles
approved one of the nation’s strictest vaccine mandates — a sweeping
measure that requires the shots for everyone entering bars, restaurants,
nail salons, gyms or even a Lakers game.