RI Considers Loosening Health Care COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

PROVIDENCE, RI — Health care workers in Rhode Island may have the option to not get their COVID-19 vaccine in the future. For now, the initial mandate was etended by sevreal weeks, to allow for the public comment period.

Under proposed changes to the state's vaccination requirements, workers not up-to-date on the vaccine would be allowed to keep their jobs if they wear an N95 mask when COVID-19 transmission is considered "elevated" in the state, or greater than 50 cases per 100,000 people in the state. Under this criteria, transmission is still considered to be elevated in Rhode Island.

Gov. Dan McKee announced the vaccine requirement in August 2021, ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline. In September, McKee said the "vast majority" of health care workers complied with the requirement without issue.

The emergency regulation was set to expire Saturday. To allow time for public comment on the new policy, the Rhode Island Department of Health and the governor issued an additional emergency regulation Friday.

"These proposed, permanent regulations will not become effective for at least several weeks because the public comment period is still open," the Department of Health explained in a statement, saying the new order was put in place to "fill the gap and help keep paitents and residents safe."

Emergency regulations remain in effect for 120 days after they are issued, and can be extended for another 60 days. The department said it anticipates the new policy will be in place before that time.

The new policy will be at the state level. Many facilities, including hospital giants Care New England and Lifespan, have their own vaccine policies in place. In addition, a federal COVID-19 vaccine requirement in still in place, which supersedes state regulations in facilities that receive reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.