The Cleveland Guardians have become the latest professional sports team to implement a COVID vaccine mandate when they warned employees that anyone who doesn’t comply by Jan. 3 will face “termination,” according to one report.
The Guardians said the policy is in accordance with the federal vaccination mandate, which the Biden administration announced in September.
The email was sent last month, obtained by FanSided, and it informed them that they must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 3 unless given an exemption and must receive the first dose by Dec. 20.
“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,” the email reportedly in question read.
“That means that – absent any exemption – all Executive Office and Service Level employees must receive either their second Moderna/Pfizer shot, or single Johnson and Johnson shot by December 20, 2021. Remember: there is an approximately three-week (Pfizer) or four-week (Moderna) gap between the first and second doses of the two-dose vaccines, so meeting these deadlines will require advanced planning. Failure to comply with this Policy will result in termination.”
The Guardians, which officially made the switch from Cleveland Indians last week, did not release any additional information.
The Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals were the first MLB teams to require the COVID vaccine for all non-playing, full-time employees in August.