RENO, Nevada (KOLO) – The Reno city manager issued a stern email to city officials after learning that at least one member of the Reno Municipal Court had secured vaccination for staff and their families ahead of schedule. Governor Steve Sisolak and the state.
In an email to employees, Doug Thornley said he was “shocked” and called the actions “inappropriate”.
In his email, Thornley said:
The launch of the COVID vaccine has been frustrating for all of us. No one wants this team to be vaccinated and allow you to run your business more than I do. Although many of our public safety officials have been vaccinated, it is frustrating for all of us not to know when it will be our turn in line. Your leadership team has worked with the Health District, the Governor’s Office and other lawmakers to ensure that our city officials – you – get in line as soon as possible.
But we must remember that our role is to serve the community and that there is a published manual to ensure that these vaccinations reach the most vulnerable people in the community first. And as tortuous as it may be, the governor’s plan for this is clear: for most of us, it just isn’t our time.
For you who have been vaccinated, let me say this: I do not envy any employee who, when I am offered the opportunity by a member of our leadership at City Hall, gets the vaccine. You must do what is right for you and your family, and I am happy to know that some of our employees have taken steps to protect themselves. You are not to blame here and will receive the second dose of your vaccine in a timely manner.
However, this special treatment based not on a solid policy, but on personal relationships, is inappropriate. For weeks, I have been advocating that our people play a key role in this community and should be vaccinated against the virus in a pandemic. Granting this privilege to an arm of our organization may be well-intentioned, but it undermines my ability to ensure that the entire team is protected in a timely manner.
First, from Mayor Schieve to the front line of our organization, we are the guardians of public trust and we must protect that trust. We cannot use our positions to take vaccines that, at this stage of the game, are reserved for people most at risk.
In the meantime, we will continue to advocate that Reno city officials be prioritized in the distribution of the vaccine and to repair the damage that this unfortunate incident may have caused.
Thank you for your patience and commitment, we will overcome this together.
DRT
To see the implementation plan for the state’s COVID-19 vaccine, click here.
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