LYNCHBURG, Va. – Health care workers and their loved ones gathered Thursday to protest against Centra Health’s vaccine mandate.
The mandate says if caregivers aren’t fully vaccinated by Nov. 1, they will be given a two-week suspension before being fired.
Since the announcement, Centra says it has had nine resignations during a time it says staffing is critically low.
Protestors say they will continue to gather until Centra changes its policy.
”I don’t support what they’re doing to these amazing people that stood on the frontline with no vaccine all last year,” Elizabeth Corrales, who is against the vaccine mandate, said. “We just want them to know that no does mean no. No is a complete sentence. You don’t have to give explanations. You should have a right to just say no, and that be the end of it.
On Thursday, UVA also made the decision to mandate the vaccine for its employees as well.