Appalachian Regional Healthcare to require COVID-19 vaccines for all staff

HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) - Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) officials told WYMT the hospital system will require all employees, providers, volunteers, students, and others who work inside of ARH locations in Kentucky and West Virginia to receive full doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

ARH officials sent a statement to WYMT explaining due to a fast increase of the COVID-19 Delta variant, and other factors, the hospital system came to this decision.

More information will be made available on Thursday.

You can read the statement below:

“We made this announcement internally this morning. Despite COVID-19 vaccination education and outreach efforts, the communities we serve, including our ARH healthcare staff, have not yet reached a critical mass of vaccination to provide sufficient protection for the unvaccinated.
We continue to see an alarming rapid increase in COVID-19 Delta variant cases in our service area.
For these reasons, and in support of our mission to provide a safe work environment for our staff and a safe place of care for our patients, the Appalachian Regional Healthcare system will now require all employees, providers, students, volunteers, vendors and contractors who work within ARH locations in Kentucky and West Virginia to receive full COVID-19 vaccination. More information will be released tomorrow.”
ARH Staff