PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — The Pinellas Board of County Commissioners is considering a resolution that puts more money into the pockets of county employees who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
If the resolution is approved, around 5,500 county workers will be eligible for a one-time payment of $750, County Administrator Barry A. Burton said.
The employees would have until Nov. 8 to show their HR department proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The $750 would be paid out by Nov. 24.
According to Burton, some county departments are dealing with staffing shortages due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. He said he first thought about the incentive in September, when testing sites at the county were reporting 900 new COVID-19 cases a day, an infection rate of 20%,
“The infection rates are extremely high and we know that the impact is far less on the individual if they’re vaccinated and the number of people that actually contract the illness is far less,” he said.
Burton said the incentive would help county leaders figure out how many employees have been fully-vaccinated against the virus.