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Hundreds of Los Angeles County employees already have been suspended for violating coronavirus policies. Now the clock is ticking on possible terminations.
The county has a huge workforce, close to 100,000 workers. So far, officials say four people have been terminated and another 10 may soon follow.
County employees were ordered to show proof of full vaccination by Oct. 1. Here's what we know about compliance:
More than 82,000 have been vaccinated
About 5,100 have applied for a medical or religious exemption
About 900 others have been suspended for failing to comply with the vaccination mandate or failing to apply for an exemption and submit to regular testing.
Employees who return from suspension have until mid-January to comply, or they'll be issued a termination notice. At that point, they're entitled to a disciplinary hearing before the end of the month.
Notices of termination are set to start going out on Feb. 1.
Here's a look at the timeline released by the county:
(Courtesy L.A. County)
L.A. County officials did not immediately respond to our request for a breakdown of vaccination rates by departments.
Countywide, about 67% of residents are considered fully vaccinated and 75% have at least one shot.