Allegheny County government is ending its requirement that current employees and new hires be vaccinated against covid-19.
County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced Thursday the lifting of the mandate. The move comes a week after the federal government ended its covid health emergency. Fitzgerald said it is time for Allegheny County to follow suit.
“At the height of the pandemic, it was important to keep our fellow employees and the public we serve safe by having our employees vaccinated,” he said in a statement. “While we still encourage people to protect themselves against covid, the lifting of the emergency by the federal governments suggests to us to be consistent.”
In addition to lifting the vaccine mandate, Allegheny County is ending its extended leave policy for people impacted by covid.
The county created a rule in September 2021 that required county employees and new hires to be vaccinated. Allegheny County was sued by 13 former employees in December 2022 and by the county police union in 2021 in response to its vaccine requirement.
Allegheny County officials said the ending of the federal health emergency also has impacted requirements on reporting covid figures, and Thursday’s weekly covid report will be the final one Allegheny County issues.
Patrick Dowd, Allegheny County’s acting health director, said covid cases have continued to drop over the weeks and are at one of the lowest levels the county has seen in three years.
