Nearly 99 percent of city employees submitted proof of vaccination or got an approved exemption to comply with the city's public order requiring them to get a COVID-19 shot, according to a release from the city on Friday.
At least 98.7 percent, or 10,704 full-time city employees, followed the rule as of noon Friday. City staff were required to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 30. Mayor Michael Hancock's administration announced on Aug. 2 that city employees needed to get the vaccine. The public health order extended to certain workers in the private sector.
The city issued the order to curb the spread of the coronavirus ahead of the cold and flu season. Its goal was too prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed with patients and save lives. Mayor Michael Hancock's administration has also proposed a $400 bonus as a reward for employees who complied with the mandate, though efforts to approve the money to pay for them have stalled.
While at least seven Denver police officers filed an unsuccessful lawsuit challenging the mandate's legality, numbers from the city show most Denver police officers -- at least 98.3 percent -- have complied. The department has more than 1,700 officers.
At least 778 city employees submitted exemptions for the vaccine, with 652 approved, 71 denied and 14 under review, according to figures from the city. Exemptions were allowed under religious or medical grounds.
More than 470,000 residents in Denver are fully vaccinated.
Correction: This post has been updated to clarify how many city employees were vaccinated.
