Hundreds of School Bus Drivers Expected to Skip Work over Connecticut Vaccine Mandate

The Associated Press
The Associated Press

Connecticut’s vaccine mandate requiring state employees to be vaccinated for the Chinese coronavirus goes into effect Monday, and hundreds of school bus drivers are expected to not show up to work in protest.

Gov. Ned Lamont (D) announced the mandate in mid-August, which requires state workers, school employees, and childcare workers to receive at least one coronavirus shot by Monday, September 27. Those who qualify for “certain exemptions” under his order are required to undergo weekly testing, although the governor’s office made it clear that state hospital workers “will not have the option of being tested in lieu of vaccination.”

“Being vaccinated against COVID-19 is the most effective means of preventing infection and subsequent transmission,” the governor said in a statement at the time.

“Our dedicated state employees must work together to ensure a safe work environment for one another and can do so by getting vaccinated,” he continued.

In this Aug. 7, 2020, file photo, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont addresses the media in Westport, Conn. Despite Connecticut's increasing virus rates, on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, Lamont continued to urge school districts to keep in-person learning at least for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. He said data show young children are not a major contributor to rising virus rates, and long-term isolation can harm students socially and emotionally. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

In this Aug. 7, 2020, file photo, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont addresses the media in Westport, Conn. Despite Connecticut’s increasing virus rates, on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, Lamont continued to urge school districts to keep in-person learning at least for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. He said data show young children are not a major contributor to rising virus rates, and long-term isolation can harm students socially and emotionally. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

With Monday marking the deadline for receiving the first shot, hundreds of bus drivers are expected to skip work, according to WWLP:

As many as 350 bus drivers across Connecticut are expected to not show up to work, according to the School Transportation Association, in response to the mandate. Currently, 1,500 drivers across the state are unvaccinated. 1,300 have agreed to weekly COVID-19 testing instead of getting the vaccine. The remaining are refusing to get vaccinated or submit to weekly testing.

According to the outlet, state officials have been encouraging parents to drive their children to school.

“They will do everything possible and working with their bus companies to get as many students to school as possible, which will probably mean doubling up buses,” Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents executive director Fran Rabinowitz said.

Protestors opposed to coronavirus vaccine mandates and vaccine passports by the government rally at City Hall in New York City on August 25, 2021. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

However, the Lamont administration is sticking to its position, regardless of the ramifications.

“We believe that parents around the state want their children, especially those who are unvaccinated, around people who are vaccinated,” Max Reiss, Lamont’s communications director, said.

Similarly, New York state’s vaccine mandate applying to healthcare workers went into effect Monday. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is considering deploying medically-trained members of the National Guard to address potential staffing shortages at hospitals as a result of the mandate.

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