Gov. Jay Inslee has rescinded a requirement that Washington state employees receive vaccinations for COVID-19, ending one of the strictest such mandates in the country.
Inslee made the announcement Wednesday morning, saying the state will no longer require current or prospective employees to show proof of vaccination.
“Throughout this public health crisis, our state employee family demonstrated inspiring resilience and dedication, and I thank our employees for their exemplary service under unprecedented circumstances. We have risen to the occasion during a defining moment in our history, and the measures we took helped us to achieve one of the lowest death rates in the nation,” Inslee said in a statement.
Inslee’s vaccination mandate order two years ago was obeyed by most government employees, but it led to the firing or resignation of nearly 2,000 state workers who refused to be vaccinated.
Asked if those workers would be eligible to be rehired, Inslee spokesperson Mike Faulk wrote in an email the former employees “would be eligible to apply” for state jobs.
“Applications would be evaluated the same as any candidate,” Faulk wrote.
Inslee’s order comes after many other levels of government had dropped their own vaccine mandates.
Seattle and King County ended their vaccine requirements for employees in February.
And President Joe Biden on May 1 announced he was ending the requirement for federal employees, contractors and international air travel.
In his announcement, Inslee noted he will soon be signing a state budget that includes $1,000 incentive payments for state workers who provide proof of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination.
