Idaho Healthcare Group “We are Pleading with the Governor”
The battle over vaccine mandates continues in our state. We continue to hear published and broadcast reports that the speaker of the house and the Governor are considering taking action against Joe Biden's to vaccinate or terminate directive to all American workers. So far, the president has proclaimed all businesses but has yet to follow through on his announcements.
We all remember that hundreds of healthcare workers who've petitioned the government, Saint Alphonsus, Saint Luke's, and Primary Health, to call on them to choose whether or not to take the vaccine. The hospitals gave the workers and contractors a September deadline. However, the spike in Covid infections due to the Delta variant has caused them to suspend their termination policy.
Idaho is currently operating under the Crisis Standard of Care, allowing hospitals to refuse patient care if resources are scarce. Recently, one of the doctors on the state medical call, declared "the war is over Covid has won."
The group Take A Stand Now is calling on Governor Brad Little to end mandatory Covid vaccinations permanently in a recent release.
"TASN challenges Governor Little to do more than name October Healthcare Worker month. We are pleading with him to follow the lead of Governor Abbott of Texas and others in protecting the healthcare workers in Idaho by signing an executive order to stop the mandatory vaccines," said TASN spokesperson Victoria Stump.
Boise Hospital Workers Prostesters
Earlier this week, the Governor designated October as "Idaho Health Care Worker Appreciation Month." He shared his thought through a press release: "I am traveling the state this week to thank health care workers in hospitals across Idaho. More and more students, families, and communities are finding creative ways to show their gratitude for these heroes of the pandemic."
Take a Stand Now would like the Governor to issue an executive order banning such vaccination mandates. The Montana Legislature passed legislation prohibiting such mandates. The Idaho Legislature did not pass an anti-vaccination mandate when they were in session earlier this year.
Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin is the only elected state official to publically call on Idaho Speaker of the House Scott Bedke to reconvene the legislature to address this issue. At the time of this publication, he has yet to move on the issue.