Starting June 7, City of Edmonds employees who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have the option of going without masks at work.
The city announced Friday that employees can request an exemption from wearing a mask and social distancing in the workplace. This is in response to Gov. Jay Inslee’s announcement that Washington State would be following updated CDC guidance on mask wearing, which states that fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear a mask in in most situations, especially outdoors.
People are considered fully vaccinated if it has been two weeks since their second dose in a two-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.
The following policies have been put in place for city staff:
– Fully vaccinated employees may request to be exempted from the masking policy by completing and submitting a mask waiver form, along with the appropriate supporting documentation, to human resources.
– Employees who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear a mask and social distance. City employees who are fully vaccinated may choose to continue to wear a mask and will need to continue social distance if doing so.
In its announcement, the city notes that “people may have different reasons for getting vaccinated or not getting vaccinated, for choosing to wear a mask or not wearing a mask. “
What if an employee achieved natural immunity by surviving Covid? Are they allowed to apply for an exemption?
I don’t know but will ask.
so does this now mean the City Hall will be open to the public as the city employees will actually be at work?
Working on a story updating the plans for city hall re-opening.
Tim, my guess would be you have to donate to big pharma and show a receipt first. This doesn’t seem to be about immunity. How often has the government recommended antibodies tests in the last year? Does the general public even know they exist?
I’ll be curious to find out the response to my question above. Herd immunity is reached by measuring those vaccinated AND by including those with naturally obtained immunity. Why are some policy makers choosing to chastise and exclude those who had the misfortune of catching Covid-19 with a spectrum of symptoms from mild to severe? Your question is sound regarding antibody tests. Are they sold at the local drug store?
Oh yeah…I know. How can they not! I read several articles about this. It is different for each individual. 6-8 months possible to be protected from the original covid. Not the new variants. I would prefer to be waited on or assisted inside stores or little street huts by people wearing masks.. The variants are here and will continue. I think we all should remain cautious. They tell us time and again we will probably need a booster in the fall. Nothing is assured and the CDC has been very clear on this, but we hear what we want to hear I guess.
Goodluck to you all.
CVS is offering them with the following disclaimer.
*COVID-19 Antibody Testing
Rapid result test offered as a cash pay service. Use the locator below to find locations offering this service.
MinuteClinic® providers are trained to perform COVID-19 antibody testing to assess for previous exposure to COVID-19. An antibody test can detect antibodies that developed as a result of exposure to COVID-19. Your MinuteClinic practitioner will perform the antibody test and review your results with you.
It is important to remember that COVID-19 antibody testing should not be used to determine or validate the effectiveness of a COVID-19 vaccine. It should also not be used alone to confirm a diagnosis of a current infection. Patients who test positive for antibodies should continue to be vigilant about following CDC guidelines to prevent COVID-19 infection including social distancing, wearing masks/face coverings in public, and all patients regardless of immune status should receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Thank you. I totally agree.
Excellent information. I’m not sure why an antibodies test should not be used as a barometer to check whether a vaccine caused you to create antibodies? Isn’t that the purpose? And if you still need to wear a mask after natural antibodies are present, due to possible reinfection, why isn’t the same required after vaccination? All of the vaccine manufacturers admit you can be reinfected after receiving their vaccine. Even the better articles on this topic admit they just don’t know much yet. We have relied on natural immunity since the beginning of beings. What changed? https://www.verywellhealth.com/antibodies-from-vaccines-and-from-natural-infection-5092564
If you are going to be tested, make sure it is the correct test to discover what you want to know. I am a retired family doc, and a solid organ transplant patient. The antibody test referred to above is for determining immunity for those who had ACTIVE disease..ie, had Covid. To test your immune status after you receive one of the immunizations currently available. They measure the antibody to the SPIKE protein. This is not currently recommended for everybody since the vacine causes a favorable response in over 90 % of those who get full dose, and results from the spike protein are confusing, they are still working out what levels mean what.
Studies are ongoing at present. Stay tuned.
FYI In a report in this weeks JAMA a study of 658 solid organ transplant patients (kidney, heart. lung,pancrease, liver, only FIFTEEN percent (15%) developed antibodies spike proteins. If you are immunocompromised, check with you doctor whether testing is necessary, or in any way contributory.
Thank you for your expertise and factual data, Jeff! When you say, “results from the spike protein are confusing, they are still working out what levels mean what”, does this mean that the currently available antibody testing is unreliable and should not be used for policy making? If the data is not yet clear, should we allow policy makers to continue segregating and discriminating against those who either obtained natural immunity from catching Covid or for those who choose to be cautious around obtaining the vaccine until the data on effectiveness is clear?
Tim:
Sounds like a political question, above my pay grade
However, I never said the test is unreliable, my understanding is that it is very reliable. Best to consult your health care team and get the correct recommondation.
All evidence I have seen also suggests the antibody test to be very reliable for determining immunity gained by the vaccine and those who obtained natural immunity. I would hope our elected officials who create these policies would include language that addresses all types of immunity rather than requiring a vaccine card.
Jeff, this is exactly why we keep asking questions and why those in the know need to do their best to answer them. Much of the misinformation is a result of an informational vacuum. Maybe there is also a valid reason for why natural immunity is undesirable?
Thanks Dr. Sorry about your transplant adventure but so glad you recovered. It’s nice to see an experts opinion. Shocked to hear the low % of antibodies with auto immune situations. That I didn’t know. Be careful. I’ll mask for you. :). Deb.