Nassau To Bring Coronavirus Vaccines To County Employees

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — In a bid to increase the vaccination rate among county employees, Nassau County will being the coronavirus vaccine directly to its workers.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced the new initiative on Thursday. It is similar to a program she kicked off earlier this week, in which county Health Department workers will come to businesses that request it to inoculate workers.

"We have made great efforts since this vaccine was first introduced to offer the vaccine to our employees," Curran said. "And while many of our employees are vaccinated, we want to make it even easier for those who haven't been vaccinated yet."

Starting today, employees from the county's Department of Health will be heading to other county facilities, like police stations and the sheriff's office, to offer coronavirus vaccinations to employees and their eligible family members.

Curran said it is part of the county's push to get the entire population vaccinated against the coronavirus. Right now, 83.1 percent of adults have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine — the highest vaccination rate in the state. In total, close to 70 percent of the county's population has been vaccinated.

"But as we know, the delta variant of the coronavirus is much more contagious, and we're seeing an uptick in cases," said Curran. "We're also seeing some breakthrough cases."

The county is offering some incentives to sweeten the pot for employees who still haven't been vaccinated. All employees will be eligible for up to four hours of paid time off during the workday to get the shot at one of these clinics. In addition, Stew Leonard's is sponsoring a $200 raffle for employees and their family members. However, that is only open to those who come back for their second dose.

The program to bring vaccinations to businesses is still open. Curran said that more than a dozen businesses and non-profits have reached out to the county since the program was launched on Tuesday. To make an appointment to have vaccinations available for your employees, call 516-227-9570.

"Lives are saved by our high vaccination rate," Curran said.