9Wants to Know has discovered about 4,500 state staff have both averted vaccines or determined to not reveal their standing. Many are transportation staff.
DENVER — Whereas the overwhelming majority of state staff have revealed they’re vaccinated towards COVID-19, a number of thousand hold-outs have determined to maintain their standing secret and go for biweekly testing beneath state guidelines, an evaluation by 9Wants to Know has discovered.
Out of roughly 28,000 state staff beneath the governor’s vaccination guidelines, about 16% are both unvaccinated or they haven’t revealed their standing.
A assessment of worker vaccine information from the Division of Personnel Administration by 9Wants to Know discovered amongst businesses, the Colorado Division of Transportation (CDOT) has the very best non-attest charge at 32%, or about one out of three staff.
“It’s laborious to place it down to 1 factor. We definitely hear completely different the explanation why,” CDOT spokesperson Matt Inzeo stated of the unknown purpose why his company has the very best charge. “We have been strongly encouraging everybody to get vaccinated.”
Graphic created by Zack Newman.
Inzeo stated CDOT has hosted vaccine buses and well being clinics at places of work and work websites in an effort to get extra staff on board with safety towards the virus.
For workers who’ve determined to not get vaccinated or reveal their standing, they need to bear biweekly COVID testing, beneath state guidelines.
Inzeo stated COVID testing has revealed about 100 constructive circumstances because the early fall when the state required staff to get examined in the event that they determined to not get vaccinated.
“And people are co-workers who’re protected,” Inzeo stated. “These are different members of the family of these staff who’re protected.”
9Wants to Know’s assessment of the worker vaccine information additionally reveals biweekly testing of state staff may very well be costing as much as $1 million taxpayer {dollars} every week, since many COVID assessments are coated by the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA). Assessments are free to anybody who makes use of them, however the fee is finally picked up by the federal authorities.
Brian Spencer, a spokesperson for the Joint Data Heart, wrote in an e mail that every COVID-19 PCR check prices between $100 to $150. 9Wants to Know discovered that it might value a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars} to run the assessments if each check was completed at a state website.
It’s unclear precisely how lots of the assessments are completed on the FEMA-reimbursed state websites as a result of the Colorado Division of Public Well being and Atmosphere (CDPHE) doesn’t monitor what number of state staff are examined.
“Many state businesses refer staff to the state’s 140 free neighborhood websites,” Spencer wrote in an e mail. “We now have contracts with quite a few testing distributors who function these websites, and it might be troublesome to separate out how a lot is being spent testing state staff as a result of the testing distributors don’t monitor these people individually.”
Spencer wrote {that a} testing website was established on the State Companies Constructing for state staff close to the capitol in Denver.
Beneath guidelines set by Governor Jared Polis, state staff are additionally allowed to get examined on state-time.
Whereas 16% of state staff haven’t disclosed standing or obtained vaccines, beneath the Metropolis of Denver which does have a vaccine mandate, solely 0.5% of metropolis staff are unvaccinated. The unvaccinated must routinely check for COVID beneath particular non secular and medical exemptions.
The state’s less-pointed strategy to vaccine guidelines at work may very well save taxpayers extra money in the long term, stated Dr. Cindi Fukami, who’s a professor of administration on the College of Denver.
“Looks as if a fairly truthful minded strategy,” Fukami stated, including it will probably value almost double an worker’s wage to exchange staff terminated over vaccines. Recruiting and coaching replacements could be expensive, she stated.
“I believe the excellent news is that it is extending an olive department in a scenario that is very contentious,” Fukami stated.
A spokesperson for the Governor’s Workplace advised 9Wants to Know solely 34 state staff have been terminated for failing to comply with testing necessities in the event that they weren’t vaccinated.
The Metropolis of Denver has terminated 26 staff for failing to adjust to its vaccine mandate.
Attain investigative reporter Zack Newman via his cellphone (303-548-9044). It’s also possible to name or textual content securely on Sign via that very same quantity. Electronic mail: zack.newman@9news.com.
Contact investigative reporter Jeremy Jojola by way of his e mail: jeremy@9news.com.
Learn in regards to the information course of that 9Wants to Know used right here. See the information for your self beneath:
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