The Governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine, announced that as part of efforts to drive up vaccinations, nursing home workers will no longer be tested for COVID-19 in Ohio if vaccinated. The measure came as the number of people getting the vaccine has dwindled significantly over the past month. 

On April 8, just a few weeks ago, more than 100,000 people had received the COVID vaccine. By the end of the month, there were only 37,000 people getting the vaccine. This was as of Friday, April 30, 2021. This was a huge drop and it concerns the governor.

In an effort to increase the number of people who get the vaccine, the Governor announced that nursing home employees who get the shot will no longer have to be tested at work. Currently, nursing home and assisted living facility workers are required to be tested for the virus at least twice per week. Only those who have completed the vaccination process will be exempt from the testing.

In order to qualify for the exemption from being tested for COVID-19 in Ohio, a worker must prove that they received the full vaccine. This means it has been at least two (2) weeks since they got their second shot (if they got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.) If they had the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine, they just need to prove that it’s been two (2) weeks since they had the one shot.

The goal of this plan is to increase the number of healthcare workers who choose to get vaccinated. So far, only 40% of the people in Ohio have been fully vaccinated. Approximately 4.7 million residents of Ohio got the first part of the vaccine. Only 3.8 million followed through with the second shot. This leaves more than 60% of the people in Ohio unvaccinated.

If you have had an issue at work related to the COVID-19 virus, make sure to call our office and talk to an experienced workers comp attorney in Ohio.

Source: https://www.registercitizen.com/news/article/Nursing-home-workers-can-skip-COVID-19-tests-if-16148150.php