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Charlotte’s major independent medical groups are now requiring COVID shots for workers

Seven of Charlotte’s largest independent medical practices will follow hospital systems Atrium Health and Novant Health in requiring COVID-19 vaccines for their employees, the practices announced Thursday morning.

Such mandates faced protests from some after they were initially announced.

The seven medical practices that are now ordering vaccine requirements are: Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center, Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates, Charlotte Eye Ear Nose and Throat Associates, Charlotte Gastroenterology & Hepatology, OrthoCarolina, Surgical Specialists of Charlotte and Tryon Medical Partners.

Employees will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by Oct. 31.

The medical practices will comply with labor guidelines regarding vaccine exemptions, the practices said in a joint statement.

The vaccine requirement was issued in response to the recent spike of COVID-19 due to the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus.

Atrium Health and Novant Health announced in late July they would require vaccinations for employees.

Atrium Health will require all workers — including remote workers, physicians, medical residents, faculty, fellows, trainees, contractors, medical staff, students, temporary workers and volunteer staff — to get vaccinated or have an approved medical or religious exemption by Oct. 31.

And Novant Health will require the same for all of its employees, contractors, vendors and students by Sept. 15.

Hundreds of Charlotte-area health care workers and supporters protested Atrium Health’s policy in a rally over the weekend.

Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday he was disappointed to hear about vaccine requirement protests around the state, including in Raleigh too. “That’s so disappointing,” he said. “If you are a health care provider, working closely with patients and around patients who are often sick, you know it’s your responsibility to get a vaccine.”

Cooper said many health care facilities have made “the right call” by issuing vaccine requirements.

Spike in COVID cases

The new vaccine requirements come as state and local officials continue to warn about rising COVID-19 cases.

And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended that even fully vaccinated people should begin wearing masks in public indoors again. That’s because new research shows fully vaccinated people can still transmit the delta variant, CDC officials have said.

On Wednesday, Mecklenburg County health officials said they’re aware of more than 600 partially vaccinated residents who have contracted COVID-19.

Those cases are not what’s known as a breakthrough case, which occurs when someone who is fully vaccinated (more than two weeks after receiving their last COVID-19 shot) gets COVID-19.

The county has seen at least 376 “true breakthrough cases” as of July 26, county Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said. That’s out of 579,488 fully vaccinated residents.

On Wednesday, Mecklenburg logged 502 new infections, the largest single-day increase since February, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

And Medic, or Mecklenburg EMS Agency, announced yesterday it has seen a 300% increase in average confirmed coronavirus transports per day compared to two weeks ago. It’s now transporting 12 people with COVID-19 a day on average.