Oregon’s frontline workers will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations on April 19, giving workers, cruisers, waiters, waitresses and others access to the shots, about two weeks before the general public will have the opportunity.
Civil servants announced earlier this week that they would be eligible for vaccine on May 1, according to a White House order. The announcement frustrated frontline workers who felt they were not prioritized by the state and worried they would have to compete with the general population for doses.
But government officials announced Friday that they are accelerating their timeline for frontline workers to receive vaccinations to ensure that workers who have to deal with other people on a daily basis are prioritized over the general population.
“As for the frontline workers, I want to say thank you,” said Gov. Kate Brown. ‘You have literally been at the forefront since the beginning of the pandemic. … Oregon sees and hears you, and we’m incredibly grateful for your work. ”
Grocery store workers and others on the front lines have been putting the state under pressure for weeks to shift their timeline for vaccinating essential workers.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommended that essential workers be included among the first groups to receive the vaccine. In Washington, grocery workers, public transport workers and other frontline workers who have regular contact with other people were eligible for the vaccines on Wednesday.
Oregon originally planned to get most frontline workers eligible for vaccines on May 1, while on July 1 they would open vaccinations to the general population.
This provoked criticism from unions and frontline workers themselves, who said they were not prioritized by the state. Frustration escalated earlier this week when the state announced that all Oregonians would be eligible for vaccines on May 1, the same date frontline workers were supposed to be eligible.
Miles Eshaia, a spokesman for UFCW Local 555, which represents grocery store workers at Fred Meyer, Safeway and Albertsons, said the union still wants to see the state grocery store workers immediately eligible for vaccines, but mentions the new accelerated timeline that Brown announced a step in the right direction on Friday.
“It’s a big step forward,” Eshaia said. ‘Before we were merged with everyone and there would be no priority. The whole idea was, ‘Hey, thank you for all your service to our community. Now you have to fight with everyone else for a vaccine. ‘This way we have some delivery time to get our essential workers and grocery workers the most important vaccine they deserve to work so closely together all this time. ‘
The majority of frontline workers, including employees of grocery stores, restaurant and bar staff, employees of retailers, bus drivers, construction workers, government officials and news media, will now be eligible to receive vaccinations on 19 April.
The vaccinations will be available to agricultural workers even earlier.
Migrant and seasonal farm workers who have already started work this harvest season will be eligible on March 22nd. Other farm workers, food processors and other agricultural workers will be eligible on March 29th.
Some of the largest COVID-19 workplace outbreaks in the state have occurred at food processing facilities and farms.
Frontline workers in certain Oregon counties may have access to the vaccines before April 19th.
Government officials said Friday that provinces that have mostly vaccinated older residents can start vaccinating the following eligible groups from March 22nd. People aged 45 to 64 with underlying health conditions will be eligible for vaccinations on March 29.
Bill Bradley, an executive board member for the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757, which represents Oregon transportation workers, said it is important that frontline employees are prioritized over the general population. He said he was hopeful that many frontline workers outside the Portland metro area would have access to the vaccines by April 19.
“It’s some positive news this weekend,” Bradley said.
– Jamie Goldberg | [email protected] | @jamiebgoldberg