20 thoughts on “C-19 Chat Post – September 25 2021”

  2. “The View” co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro were removed from the panel on yesterday’s show due to testing positive for COVID-19 even though both have been fully vaccinated.

      1. Since I didn’t see the show, I have no idea. It just boggles my mind as to how fully vaccinated people can get Covid-19 so easily these days.

        This only fuels the anti-vaxxers to say “why bother to get vaccinated?” if many aren’t saying that already.

  4. Nationwide we see an easing in numbers of cases and hospitalizations. This is obviously good news. But, we also see an uneven distribution, with some states getting worse while others improve. Still a tough slog ahead. We saw another day with >2,000 deaths reported yesterday.

  5. The state is not messing around about the vaccine. Here’s two different emails we got. I figured some of you might find it interesting the messages we are getting internally as the deadline gets closer.

    First:

    “Good Morning MassDOT Employees,

    A friendly reminder from your HR Team, in the event that you choose to separate from employment with MassDOT (i.e., resignation or retirement) please provide at a minimum a two-week notice from your last day to the Human Resources department by submitting a ticket via MyMassDOT: ((removed link))

    A timely notification to HR will ensure that your separation from the agency runs smoothly when issuing your final paycheck, closing-out your benefits, collecting MassDOT property, and completing any necessary paperwork.

    Managers and Supervisors, please confirm that your direct report has informed HR of their decision to separate from the agency once they have notified you. You also have the option to submit the ticket on their behalf via MyMassDOT.””

    Second email:

    “ Team MassDOT,

    I am writing to update you on the implementation of Executive Order #595, which requires that all MassDOT employees to demonstrate proof of vaccination by October 17. Vaccinated MassDOT Team Members may meet this requirement by submitting a simple online form available here: mass.gov/EO595. You need only know your employee number and a few personal detail to complete this submission. I encourage you to do so as quickly as possible. It took me only a few moments. I am pleased to report that, to date, over 1,500 MassDOT employees and more than 13,000 employees from across the Executive Department have completed and submitted their forms.

    Unvaccinated employees may meet the vaccine mandate requirement by, first and foremost, becoming vaccinated. As I wrote last week, available vaccine types require different waiting periods between doses. Below is the timeline for when you will need to receive your first vaccine to be in compliance by the October 17 deadline:

    Moderna: your first dose must have been administered on or prior to September 19 in order to be in compliance by the October 17 deadline. The Moderna vaccine option is no longer viable for October 17 compliance if first dose has not been administered.
    Pfizer: your first dose must be administered by September 26 to ensure second dose compliance by the October 17 deadline. (21 days between doses)
    J&J/Janssen: with only one dose required, you can have this dose administered any time up to and including October 17.

    Please do not delay! Schedule your vaccination quickly. Vaccines are readily available at over 900 locations across the Commonwealth. Using the Vaxfinder tool, you can select the location and type of vaccine you wish to receive.

    Employees may also meet the vaccine mandate requirement by receiving a religious or medical exemption, and agreeing to approved workplace behaviors. Medical Exemption requests must be made to MassDOT’s ADA Coordinator, ((name redacted)). Religious Exemption requests must be submitted to MassDOT’s Director of EEO Programs, ((name redacted)). A form will be available on the MyMassDOT Portal. Exemption requests should be submitted before October 8, to allow the Office of Diversity and Civil Rights sufficient time needed to process and validate these requests. Please note, even after the exemption request is validated, and the accommodation is approved, the employee must be able to perform the essential job functions of their position with a reasonable accommodation.”

    1. I attended meeting yesterday that was NOT so forthcoming.
      They talked about only providing direct care need be vaccinated.
      I was disgusted. We shall see how our individual agency handles it.

      I for one, would QUIT before I had to work in the office with Unvaccinated staff.

    2. Wow. I love this….tends to make you chuckle….well at least me with the memo re leaving preceding the one re vaccine. What will the person do who had said he/she was vaccinated but you didn’t think was telling the truth?

    3. That is really interesting. I can imagine HR discussing the problem that someone will read the first sentence of the second email, grab their personal stuff and run out of the office screaming, “I quit!” Hence, the first email.

  6. Regarding vaccination status; all state employees MUST enter their vaccination information on the first dose and second dose (or just one dose if j&j) to an online form that is an attestation form. You *could* try to lie but from the way I read it they are going to try to verify with the state’s database all information entered. If you want to see: https://www.mass.gov/forms/employee-covid-19-vaccination-self-attestation-form (if you click “i received the vaccine” you’ll see it asks for your vaccination dates.)

    We’ve received communiques other than the ones above. They are being very thorough. I’m surprised, though, that they haven’t buckled (yet) and offered something like weekly testing for unvaccinated people. I fully expected that to be a thing. I know at least five people who are unvaccinated. One said they are going to apply for religious exemption. For those that are curious here are the state forms for religious exemption: https://www.mass.gov/doc/religious-exemption-form/download they are NOT messing around. They will likely want to talk to your religious leader.

    2. Very interesting I’m assuming my son has entered his info.

      You sure are right that the religious exemption form means business. People can surely say that they are X religion. Although, if they have had any other vaccines or have seen a physician, that will be difficult to prove.

  8. There are variants out there, including R.1 (from Japan), that have an increased ability to evade vaccines. But, the good news is that none of the variants thus far have been able to compete well against Delta. Delta isn’t an easy variant to deal with, but it’s better that it is out-competing other, more harmful variants at this time. Bear in mind, Delta has been out there since late last year; its lineage, that is. It’s only when Delta mutated further in March that it began invading the globe in earnest, starting in India. I am a little concerned about a variant like R.1, which is lurking, if you will, in the background. Should it mutate further, become more transmissible, then all bets are off.

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