Tucson employees face firing if they don’t get vaccinated

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TUCSON, Arizona (AP) – Tucson City Council voted Tuesday to require all city workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or fired by December 1.

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and Councilors Lane Santa Cruz, Karin Uhlich and Steve Kozachik voted in favor of the measure, while Paul Cunningham, Nikki Lee and Richard Fimbres opposed it.

Council members said Pima County continues to have high levels of coronavirus.

Until last week, around 300 employees had not been vaccinated or received an exemption.

The city’s police and fire department each had fewer than 100 employees who did not obey the rules.

More than 90 percent of Tucson police and firefighters are fully vaccinated, compared to about 52 percent of the city’s total population.

In August the council passed a regulation implementing a vaccination mandate for its nearly 4,000 employees.

The employees faced a five-day ban without pay if they did not get vaccinated.

Under the updated ordinance, Tucson employees who haven’t received at least one vaccination and haven’t received an approved exemption or accommodation from the city by December 1 will receive a notice of termination on December 3.

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