A protest is scheduled Saturday in Greenwood, after a local hospital said it would require all employees to be vaccinated against Covid 19.
The Index Journal reports that Self Regional Medical Center is giving employees a September 30 deadline to get the shot if they want to continue to work.
The Greenwood newspaper reports about 65% of the staff is already vaccinated and CEO and President Jim Pfieffer is quoted by the paper as saying employees can apply for medial and religious exemptions.
But some employees and community leaders oppose the requirement. The chairman of the Laurens County Republican Party called the Tara Show Friday announcing the scheduled protest.
"We feel that taking the covid vaccine should be a choice, that each person should have the freedom to make for themselves."
Luke Rankin, also a Laurens County Council member explained that he and others are not opposed to the covid vaccine.
"So this is not an anti-vaccine protest, but this is a freedom of choice, give us the freedom to choose for ourselves."
The protest site is at the intersection of West Alexander Street and Main Street in Greenwood, about a block from the Self Regional Medical Center from 10AM to noon Saturday. You can hear the entire conversation by clicking here for the Tara Show podcast.
