Nearly a month after the City of Oakland required its employees to report their COVID-19 vaccination status, officials say the vast majority of them are fully inoculated – including within the police and fire departments.
Ninety-four percent of Oakland's permanent city employees have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 following the city's reporting deadline on Nov. 15. Only 5% of city workers have requested religious or medical exemptions, including 48 police officers and 36 firefighters.
"Public safety employees, both police and fire, are showing parallel vaccination rates to our overall workforce," Oakland spokesperson Karen Boyd told KCBS Radio on Thursday. "So, 93, 94% of our permanent employees, including public safety, have been vaccinated."
Only 1% of Oakland employees have refused to comply with the vaccination mandate so far. Most of them are on long-term leave, according to city officials. Boyd said exemptions are being handled on a case-by-case basis.
Michael Hunt, a spokesperson with the Oakland Fire Department, said the department was "looking good" following the mandate. He addded that the goal remains to get as many city employees vaccinated as possible.
"The more people that are prepared, that are vaccinated, that are able to fight this really scary and devastating disease, is better," Hunt said.
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