CHARLOTTE, N.C. — About 175 Novant Health employees were fired for violating the company's COVID-19 vaccine policy, Novant said this week.
The firings come a week after Novant said hundreds of employees were suspended for not meeting the company's deadline to receive their first dose of the vaccine. Novant said it would give unvaccinated employees five days to being their series of shots or they would face termination.
"Last week we shared around 375 were suspended, and of those, nearly 200 have since come into compliance, so the estimate would be fewer than 200 were non-compliant after the suspension period," Novant Health said in a statement.
Novant clarified Tuesday to indicate the number of suspended employees was about 175 people.
Novant employees who are taking the two-dose Moderna or Pfizer vaccines have until Oct. 15 to receive their second dose and remain compliant with the policy.
Workers who were given a medical or religious exemption will be required to undergo weekly testing and wear N95 masks or other appropriate equipment while on the clock.
Novant announced the policy in July, joining Atrium Health and several other major health care providers in North Carolina requiring the shots.
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