Lexington Diocese mandates COVID-19 vaccine, masks for some employees
Employees at the Catholic Center of the Lexington Catholic Diocese have to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 1, the diocese announced Tuesday.
Getting the vaccine will be a “condition of their employment,” the diocese said in a news release. The diocese said more mandates may be implemented later. Pastors will have the full support of Bishop John Stowe if they decide to implement the vaccination policy at the parish level.
“This is an urgent matter of public health and safety,” Stowe said in a statement.
“There is no religious exemption for Catholics to being vaccinated, and Pope Francis has repeatedly called this a moral obligation,” said Bishop Stowe. “The health care system is now overwhelmed by a crisis caused primarily by those who refuse to protect themselves and others by getting vaccinated.
“This is unacceptable, and our diocese now joins those employers who have already made this basic commitment to the common good a requirement.”
The bishop also mandated masks for all employees “at work at the Catholic Center.”
Gov. Andy Beshear said that by the end of this week, Kentucky’s hospitals are expected to have more COVID-19 patients than at any prior point in the pandemic.
Lexington reported 440 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, which was a combined report of newly-confirmed cases from Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The city also reported 11 new hospitalizations Tuesday. In total, 2,277 Lexington residents have been hospitalized with COVID-19 since the pandemic appeared locally last year.
The Lexington Catholic Diocese covers 50 counties in Central and Eastern Kentucky, with 59 parishes and missions serving about 46,000 Catholics.
This story was originally published August 17, 2021 at 12:45 PM.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated an incorrect number for coronavirus cases from Saturday through Monday. The health department issued a corrected number Tuesday night.