Shoreline City Council adopts resolution requiring mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations

Shoreline City Hall photo by Steven H. Robinson

Shoreline Council adopts resolution requiring mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for City employees, volunteers, and those providing contracted services in City facilities

On October 4, 2021 Shoreline City Council passed a resolution establishing a mandatory vaccination policy as a qualification of employment or volunteer public service with the City. It also requires that contractors providing services in City facilities to also be fully vaccinated. The City will require proof of full vaccination by December 1, 2021.

The vaccine mandate covers the following groups:

• City of Shoreline employees,
• elected officials (City Councilmembers),
• appointed members of boards and commissions (Planning Commissioners and Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services/Tree Board Members),
• City volunteers (people volunteering in-person at a City Facility or City-managed event, activity, or program), and
• individuals under contract with the City providing in-person services at City Facilities.

“We have to protect our employees and everyone working with us,” said Mayor Will Hall. 

“We know vaccines are not 100% effective at stopping COVID-19, but they are the best way to slow it down. Vaccines dramatically reduce the effects of the virus, and we need that to give our healthcare workers a break. 

"If we want to get back to normal, vaccines are the way to do that.”

The City has 221 employees (regular and extra-help) on payroll. As of September 22, 187, or 85%, of those employees had provided proof of being fully vaccinated. This does not include the Shoreline Police Department, as they are King County employees covered under King County’s vaccine mandate.

As of October 7, 2021, King County had 6,492 new COVID-19 cases in the most recent two-week period and 198 hospitalizations, approximately 3% of the new COVID-19 cases. 

While these numbers are an improvement from the prior two-week period, they are still at some of the highest levels seen during the pandemic. Transmission levels also continue to remain high.

Widespread vaccination is the primary means to prevent and curtail the spread of new variants of the COVID-19 virus, avoid the return of more stringent public health measures, and end the pandemic.

While non-pharmaceutical interventions such as wearing face coverings and social distancing help to reduce the spread of COVID-19, vaccination has been proven as a safe and highly effective measure in preventing infection and limiting hospitalization and death.

Getting vaccinated in King County