The Cleveland Guardians have joined other professional sports teams in enforcing a COVID vaccine mandate by notifying employees that those who do not comply by Jan. 3 will risk losing their jobs, as reported by FanSided.
The team stated that the mandate aligns with the federal vaccination requirement announced by the Biden administration in September.
Employees were informed via an email, obtained by FanSided, that they must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 3 unless they have an exemption, and they must have received the first dose by Dec. 20.
The email mentioned, “To be fully vaccinated, two weeks must have passed after receiving either the second shot in a two-shot vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) or the only shot of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson Vaccine.”
“It means that – unless exempted – all Executive Office and Service Level staff need to get their second Moderna/Pfizer shot or single Johnson & Johnson shot by December 20, 2021. Remember: there is about a three-week (Pfizer) or four-week (Moderna) interval between the first and second doses of the two-dose vaccines, so meeting these deadlines will necessitate planning ahead. Failure to adhere to this Policy will lead to termination.”
The Guardians, who recently changed their name from the Cleveland Indians, did not offer further details on the matter.
The Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals were the initial MLB teams to mandate the COVID vaccine for all non-playing, full-time staff back in August.
