Thousands of State Employees Still Non-Compliant With Vaccine Mandate as Deadline Nears

Officials gave an update on the compliance for the state employee vaccine mandate on Sunday. State employees have through the end of the day on Monday, October 4, to provide proof of vaccination or for those who are exempt, get tested weekly.

State officials said as of Sunday afternoon, 23,000 employees (74%) are vaccinated, 5,000 employees are opting for the testing option (15%) and 3,000 (11%) are still non-compliant.

According to officials, the state expects most of the remaining non-compliant employees to get their documentation in by Monday night and expects minimal impact on operations.

The governor provided an update Wednesday on the mandate for state employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or face weekly testing.

Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.

The executive order Governor Ned Lamont issued requires all Connecticut state employees, childcare staff and staff of PreK-12 schools statewide to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and for people who are exempt to be tested on a weekly basis.

Anyone who chooses not to be in compliance by the end of the day on Monday could face being put on unpaid leave, according to Josh Geballe, the governor's Chief Operating Officer.

Those employees could be put on unpaid leave as early as Tuesday, October 5, but no later than Monday, October 11, as last minute paperwork comes in, he added.