Cuyahoga County considering COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees, but wants to try $100 incentives first – cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio Cuyahoga County officials are considering a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for employees, but for now are hoping to incentivize vaccinations through $100 payments, County Executive Armond Budish said Wednesday.

Budish, speaking at a Cuyahoga County Board of Health news conference, called on County Council to approve a plan to provide $100 payments for county employees who receive a vaccine. The plan would aim to include all 7,500-plus county employees, including those who work for the Common Pleas Courts, County Prosecutor Michael OMalley, and the County Council.

The county will facilitate vaccinations by setting up four locations where employees can get the shot during the work day, Budish said. Those locations, which will be run by MetroHealth, will open Aug. 23.

The states Medicaid program is also offering program recipients $100 to get vaccinated, Budish said. Medicaid is working to get an additional 900,000 Ohioans vaccinated between now and Sept. 15.

Just in Cuyahoga County alone, over 425,000 county residents are enrolled in Medicaid, Budish said. There are 32 pop-up and standing vaccination sites in our area. In neighborhoods like South Collinwood, Broadway, Glenville, Hough and Detroit-Shoreway, and also in many suburban communities.

People can find a Medicaid-eligible location by visiting covidvaxonthespot.com or calling the number on the back of their Medicaid health care member ID card.

The push for more vaccinations comes as the more-contagious delta variant of the coronavirus has driven a rise in infections and hospitalizations throughout Ohio. Cuyahoga County currently has 105 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents compared to about 60 per 100,000 two weeks ago, Budish said.

Ohio ranks No. 28 in the U.S. in terms of overall vaccination rates, and Budish stressed the importance of more people getting vaccinated.

As of Wednesday, more than 56% of Cuyahoga County residents have started their vaccinations and 52% are fully vaccinated.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court is already requiring employees to be vaccinated beginning Oct. 15. Vaccine requirements have also been announced at Akron Childrens Hospital, Summa Health and the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System.

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Cuyahoga County considering COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees, but wants to try $100 incentives first - cleveland.com