Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva's Department is going to lose 4.000 employees who have not been vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is set to vote on the possible dismissal of 18.000 employees who did not comply with COVID-19 vaccination requirements on Tuesday, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva posted on Twitter on Monday.
Of those 18.000 non-compliant employees, 4.000 belong to Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva's Department.
"These are the same law enforcement professionals, firefighters, medical and healthcare professionals, mental health professionals and others we just called HEROES a while ago," the department said. "Call the board meeting tomorrow to share your public safety concerns and stop this social experimentation!"
The Board of Supervisors began enacting a policy requiring all Los Angeles County officials to submit proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 in August 2021.
Officials said workers had to be vaccinated in an effort to "combat the increased risk posed by the highly contagious Delta variant and prepare for the impending opening of county buildings to the public."
A COVID-19 immunization policy was then implemented in October and requires all Los Angeles County staff to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of immunization unless they have been granted a medical or religious exemption.
As of Feb. 1, 2022, 81,5 percent (82.298) of Los Angeles County's approximately 100.000 employees have been fully vaccinated, said Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl.
More than 90 percent of those vaccinated are employed in about a dozen parts of Los Angeles County, while less than 60 percent of employees at the Alex Villanueva County Sheriff's Office are fully vaccinated, Kuehl said.
"Unsurprisingly, about 74 percent of the more than 5.000 COVID-19-related employee compensation claims filed by county officials on January 29, 2022, have been filed by Sheriff Department officials," the supervisor said.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors says the data illustrates the "vital role of vaccinations in limiting the spread of COVID-19" and the "urgent need to increase vaccination rates across the county."
They agreed to "discipline officials in any part of the county for non-compliance" with the vaccination order for COVID-19 and will suspend or dismiss these employees.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Association filed a lawsuit in December with the Board of Supervisors, arguing that it has no legal authority to suspend or fire its Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies for failing to comply with its mandatory vaccination mandate.
But the board says it has the legal authority to do so.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has been highly critical of the county's vaccination mandate and has repeatedly said he will not force his staff to be vaccinated, calling the COVID-19 vaccine issue "politicized."
In October, Alex Villanueva said the dismissal of so many Sheriff's Department staffers could have dire consequences for public safety, as the department is already facing staffing problems due to "financing of police efforts".
Earlier, the sheriff also said that forcing vaccinated people and those already infected with COVID-19 to wear masks indoors "is not supported by science and goes against the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." (CDC) of the USA ".
