MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Local leaders are stressing the importance of COVID-19 vaccines to keep everyone protected as Labor Day crowds gather across South Florida.
As is the norm, people from across the globe have come to Miami-Dade County to enjoy the holiday weekend.
The influx of visitors posed a potential concern in an area already struggling to manage the spread of COVID-19.
“People are traveling more, our numbers at the airport are very high,” said Miami-Dade County Chief Operations Officer Jimmy Morales. “All of that gives you concerns because as long as a portion of folks are not vaccinated, there’s the potential for them to get sick and the potential to pass it on.”
COVID-19 among the top concerns at a Labor Day event highlighting the sacrifices of Miami-Dade County’s frontline workers, as county leaders struggle to find a way to get more workers to get the vaccine.
“We’re requiring all employees at the county to either be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing,” Morales said.
Local 10 News’ Amy Viteri asked Morales whether the county is considering requiring workers to get vaccinated, an option Morales said has not been ruled out.
“At some point, if this pandemic doesn’t break, the numbers keep going up or stay high, we may have to take more drastic action, and it’s unfortunate,” he said.
The county has also offered incentives like a bonus day off for those who do get the shot.
“At the end of the day, they’ve got to get vaccinated,” Morales said. “You’ve got all these firefighters, police officers that don’t want to get vaccinated. And they’re out there. They’re dealing with people on a regular basis in all kinds of settings.”
For information on where COVID-19 vaccines are available in South Florida, click here.