HOUSTON — The City of Houston is requiring all unvaccinated employees to take a COVID-19 test twice a month.
Mayor Sylvester Turner announced he is signing an executive order to enforce the new policy during a Houston City Council meeting Wednesday.
"Failure to adhere to the policy will result in disciplinary action and can even cost you your job," Turner said.
The requirement impacts all employees, including firefighters and police. It does not apply to elected or appointed officials of councils, boards or commissions.
Turner said 342 city employees, including firefighters and police, currently have coronavirus, according to Wednesday's data.
"We've been above 300 for quite some time, and to simply continue to move forward and just report the numbers is not enough," Turner said.
"When you have 125 police officer out with COVID, they're not able to perform their job. Same thing with municipal workers. That slows things down as well," the mayor said. "Simply don't want them to get sick, and we don't want anybody to die."
On Friday, the Houston Fire Department confirmed its fourth COVID-related death, and an employee in the city's permits department was confirmed dead sometime over the weekend.
The executive order will go into effect in 30 days, meaning employees will have to submit their first report on Oct.15.
Employees will be required to show proof of testing on the 1st and 15th of each month to the City of Houston human resources department, according to the mayor.
There will be an exception for employees who can't be tested for religious or medical reasons.