TAMPA, Fla. — All team members at Tampa General Hospital and its affiliates will be required to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
A hospital spokesperson said Friday that it plans to comply with President Joe Biden's recent order related to mandatory vaccines.
The rules mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly, affecting about 80 million Americans, according to The Associated Press. And the roughly 17 million workers at health facilities nationwide that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also will need to be vaccinated.
As of Sept. 6, the spokesperson said 74 percent of team members are vaccinated.
"Since December 2020, Tampa General Hospital has consistently urged all team members and physicians to be vaccinated against COVID-19," the hospital said in a statement, in part. "We have worked diligently to provide evidence-based information and to make the vaccine accessible to everyone who works for Tampa General."
Biden criticized millions of Americans who are not yet vaccinated on Thursday, saying in part, "We’ve been patient. But our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us."
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The CEO of BayCare penned a letter to the community in the hours following Biden's announcement. In it, Tommy Inzina said the hospital system will respect the decision and take the necessary actions to comply.
"It is safe and effective and it is saving lives," Inzina wrote. "That’s why I want every one of BayCare’s 28,029 team members to get vaccinated."