By Tim Mastro

NEWARK — ChristianaCare announced Monday the loss of approximately 150 employees who did not fulfill the health system’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement by Sept. 21.

Dr. Janice Nevin, ChristianaCare president and CEO, said in a statement approximately 200 caregivers received religious or medical exemptions. Those caregivers will be required to undergo regular COVID-19 testing and wear masks while in ChristianaCare facilities.

The approximately 150 employees who no longer work at ChristianaCare are the equivalent of fewer than 90 full-time employees, Dr. Nevin said. Of these, she said, less than 48 full-time equivalents provided direct patient care, and less than than 12 were nurses.

“We thank everyone who has made the decision to be vaccinated,” Dr. Nevin said. “Getting vaccinated is a service to others — especially our health care workers, who continue to battle COVID-19 daily as we meet the health care needs of our community. Vaccination continues to be our path not only to protect each other — but to ultimately reduce the spread of COVID-19 and end this pandemic.”

ChristianaCare also announced the hiring of more than 200 caregivers, including 160 in positions which provide direct patient care.

“These new caregivers join an organization in which they can be confident that their colleagues are vaccinated,” Dr. Nevin said. “And that their organization is a leader in COVID-19 safety.”

The vaccine requirement was announced by ChristianaCare in late July. It mandated all employees receive the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna, both two-dose vaccines, or a single-shot of Johnson & Johnson by Sept. 21. The approximation of 150 includes employees who chose to leave and those who were let go for non-compliance.

Statewide, 60% of Delaware’s population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, per data from the Delaware Division of Public Health. According to statistics via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 78.2% of Delawareans 18 years old and older have received at least one dose.

There have been  1,163,736 doses administered in Delaware.