NAPLES, Fla. — Protesters rallied against a policy requiring Naples Community Hospital employees to get the COVID-19 vaccination.
The hospital is joining more than seventy-five other health systems across the country in implementing a vaccination mandate for employees. So, people gathered at the intersection in front of the hospital to protest the policy.
Dan cook helped organize the protest, he believes the decision is taking away healthcare workers right to choose for themselves.
“Several NCH employees have reached out to me this week because NCH has changed their policies. Which is going to require the employees to take the quote-unquote, vaccine and they are upset because they don’t want to take the vaccine, but they don’t want to lose their job.”
According to the NCH Vaccination Policy (Effective as of August 16, 2021):
Employees, contract staff, and volunteers who, regardless of reasoning, do not meet the status of fully vaccinated consistent with the terms of this Policy must, in consideration of all rules, regulations and Employer policies and procedures, continue to abide by masking and social distancing requirements including, but not limited to, wearing a mask over the nose and mouth at all times while on duty regardless of the workplace setting (except while eating), ensuring 6-feet distance between nonhousehold family members, regularly cleaning and disinfecting workplace surfaces, as well as monitoring and reporting daily health symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, shortness of breath, irregular temperature, etc.). Any unvaccinated employee found to be in violation of the foregoing masking requirements will face immediate and automatic termination of employment
Hospital employees have until Sept. 16th to get their vaccinations, or they could face termination. A few NCH employees attended the rally and did not want to speak on camera.
A Lee County acupuncturist attending the protest says not all medicines work the same for everyone.
“We need to make our own choices whether to take any medication any treatment or not. It’s no one’s place to tell us what we should do with our body,” said Robert Murdoch.
100 percent of ICU COVID patients at NCH are unvaccinated. The hospital sent us a statement saying they made the decision to require masks for staff to further safeguard the health and well-being of their staff and patients.
