GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Orchard Hospital will require all employees to be vaccinated by September 30, 2021, following a state-wide public health order.

A state-wide public health order was issued August 5, 2021, by Gov. Newsom requiring all healthcare workers in California to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by September 30, 2021.  “As COVID-19 positivity rates continue to increase, a public health order from the Governor’s Office is not surprising”, says Steve Stark, Orchard Hospital’s chief executive officer.  “While many of employees have voluntarily received the COVID-19 vaccine, this new mandate ties our hands on allowing unvaccinated employees to report to work, absent a medical or religious exemption”, Stark explains.

Another Public Health Order issued on the same day will require unvaccinated visitors to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72-hours of visiting a patient.  Orchard Hospital plans to set up virtual visits for its patients for unvaccinated visitors that cannot show proof of a negative COVID-19 result.

More information about the Public Health Order can be found here:  https://tinyurl.com/covid19order and https://tinyurl.com/covid19visitors

COVID-19 Vaccines are Safe

“In the past three months, nearly all hospitalizations related to COVID-19 are in unvaccinated populations of people”, says Dr. Natalie Ladine, Orchard’s chief medical officer.  “The evidence is clear; the vaccination is safe, and vaccinated people have much better outcomes if they contract COVID-19,” Dr. Ladine concludes.

Orchard Hospital encourages all citizens able to receive the COVID-19 vaccination to do so.  Appointments to receive the vaccination can be made by calling the Medical Specialty Center COVID-19 phone number at (530) 797-3595.