Governor John Bel Edwards said that as of Monday, more than two dozen categories of essential workers will be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine, an expansion that is likely to include tens of thousands of people.
Louisiana last week took an extraordinary step in opening eligibility for anyone aged 16 and over with certain health conditions. These categories were broadly defined and included smokers and those who are definitively “overweight”, a forceful metric that covers about 70% of the state’s adult population.
The latest expansion in eligibility will take effect on Monday, March 22 and will include the following workers:
- Higher education faculty / staff
- Food and agriculture workers
- Food service workers (restaurant / bar)
- Hotel workers
- Judicial workers
- Postal workers
- Manufacturing workers
- Grocery store workers
- Transport workers, including river pilots
- Water and sewage workers
- Energy workers
- bank tellers
- Construction workers
- Clergy
- IT and communications workers
- Media workers
- Public safety engineers and other workers
- Public health workers
- Frontline government officials
- Child, youth and family service workers
- Veterinarians and support staff
- Waste management workers
- Public and private security workers and emergency preparedness