Bucks County Nursing Residence Will Require Employees To Get COVID-19 Vaccine

A room at Neshaminy Manor. File photo.
Photo credit: County of Bucks

Bucks County employees who work at Neshaminy Manor are expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Employees at the Warrington Township-based 360-bed facility, the state’s fourth largest long-term care center, have been emailing the county policy decision in the past few days forwarding the county policy decision to LevittownNow.com. Employees declined to have their names published on retaliatory concerns.

In an email from the county nursing home administrator to all staff at the facility last week, it was found that the COVID-19 vaccine participation rate was 46.7 percent among employees and 94 percent among residents. Marjorie Ziegler, the facility’s administrator, wrote that employee involvement was “unacceptable”.

The announcement to employees states that leading representatives of the district, including Dr. Damkser, director of the Bucks County Department of Health, were consulted. The decision was to fire employees who are not vaccinated.

Pennsylvania health officials said the state government would not require vaccination. However, experts have stated that employers can require employees to be vaccinated unless they have a specific medical disability. The Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released information on the matter late last year.

Neshaminy Manor employees who reached out to this news organization said they were upset about the policy because of religious and philosophical concerns.

Larry King, a Bucks County spokesman, said the vaccination clinics will be returning to the nursing home in the coming weeks.

“All employees who have not been vaccinated by the end of March could be fired. Those requesting medical or religious exemptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis, ”King said.

At Neshaminy Manor, 85 residents have died of COVID-19 since March.

The two approved COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe and are distributed across the country and much of the world.

Ways Residents Can Help Reduce The Spread Of COVID-19:

• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Wear a mask properly when in a company or when it is difficult to maintain adequate social distance.
• Cover a cough or sneeze with your elbow, not your hands.
• Clean surfaces frequently.
• Stay home to avoid the spread of COVID-19, especially if you feel uncomfortable.

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