The Rhode Island Department of Health is proposing to ease the ban on healthcare workers who are unvaccinated against the coronavirus.
A proposal posted for public comment on Thursday would allow workers who are not up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations to come back to work, as long as they wear a medical-grade N-95 mask when transmission rates are substantial.
The issue has been heavily debated within the medical industry since the pandemic began as hospitals were stressed by growing numbers of cases and reduced staffs.
The comment period ends on March 25th.
Health department spokesperson Joseph Wendelken points to the fact that about 94-percent of the healthcare workforce is vaccinated, and he says the state is shifting to managing COVID-19 as an endemic.
(Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
Photo: (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)