HOSPITAL SYSTEM FIRES 175 FOR REFUSING VACCINE MANDATE

A North Carolina-based hospital system has fired 175 employees for failing to comply with its COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Novant Health had said last week that approximately 375 of its 35,000-member workforce was noncompliant with the mandate, and those individuals were placed on a five-day, unpaid suspension. Team members who remained noncompliant after the suspension period had their employment terminated.

In a statement to The Hill on Tuesday, the hospital system said that roughly 200 additional team members have come into compliance since last week’s update.

Novant Health first announced its vaccine mandate on July 22. Under the mandate, employees had until Sept. 15 to be fully vaccinated.

The firings come as hospitals, universities and other employers increasingly mandate vaccinations for employees amid the rise of the delta variant of the coronavirus.