Baca County, Otero County pass resolutions opposing all vaccine mandates
COLORADO (KRDO) -- Rural counties in southeastern Colorado are vowing to oppose any federal and state COVID-19 vaccine requirements or mandates, and leave vaccinations up to the individual.
On September 23rd, Baca County Commissioners unanimously voted to support a resolution opposing the mandates. On Monday, Otero County Commissioners followed Baca County's lead - unanimously passing a similar resolution opposing vaccine or mask mandates.
According to the first resolution, commissioners say "Baca County does not have the resources to enforce state and federal mandates, and does not intend to use its very limited resources to enforce any vaccine mandates issued by either the state of Colorado or federal government of the United States, and would encourage all elected officials to refuse to require or enforce the same."
According to Otero County's resolution, "the decision to be vaccinated for COVID-19 is an individual and personal decision, and should not be a decision made by force or manipulation by another person or entity or as a condition of employment or activity of any kind."
In Colorado, a large number of health care workers are required to get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by the end of September, and fully vaccinated by the end of October.
Earlier this month, Otero County Commissioners and local health officials wrote letters to Gov. Jared Polis asking him to reverse course on the vaccine mandate. The letters point out that multiple health care workers in Otero County already walked out on their jobs due to the vaccine mandate for health care workers, and they fear that the mandates are negatively impacting their health care system. According to the Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center, 16 employees remain unvaccinated at the hospital in La Junta.
In Baca County, commissioners say they believe the vaccine mandates to be unconstitutional and that the mandates are causing their health care workers to jump ship as well.
"What I've heard is [Southeast Colorado Hospital District] are looking at possibly losing somewhere around 30% [of employees] to this mandate," said Baca County Commissioner Shiloh Freed. "Our hospital employs a little more than 130 people. So 30% is a big loss for us."
KRDO reached out to Southeastern Colorado Hospital District in Baca County. Management at the hospital says their employees have three choices: get vaccinated, get a religious exemption, or medical exemption. Seventy percent of the hospital staff either received their first dose or are fully vaccinated.
Both the Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center in Otero County and KRDO reached out to Southeastern Colorado Hospital District in Baca County say they will continue to adhere to state and federal vaccine mandates for their employees despite the resolutions passed by their county commissioners.
"We are not taking a position as far as whether you should or shouldn't take the vaccine says," said Baca County Commissioner Glen 'Spike' Ausmus. "We are neutral on that. We just think it should be a personal opinion for their own health."
According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's current numbers, 76% percent of eligible Coloradans have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine so far. But in Baca County, the number is 45%; in Otero County, it’s 53%.
Ausmus doesn't believe their own resolution opposing vaccine mandates will lead to further cases or outbreaks in the community, however, both County Commissioners tell KRDO they anticipate pushback from state health officials.
KRDO reached out to both the Governor's office and CDPHE for comment on either resolution. We are still waiting on a response to our questions, but Polis did say during a press conference Tuesday that if they don't follow federal mask mandates, the hospital systems won't get federal funding.
