Report: Governor Signs Health Care Worker Presumption

Friday, April 2, 2021 | 0

Reuters reports that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed into law a bill that would create a presumption that COVID-19 is an occupational condition for some health care workers, provided they didn’t refuse an offered vaccine.

The Reuters story doesn’t identify a bill number and there is no information on the governor’s web page about enacting a COVID-19 presumption for health care workers.

However, Reuters said enactment of the COVID-19 presumption was confirmed by an aide to Del. Chris Hurst, the lawmaker who introduced the bill.

Hurst, a Democrat from Blacksburg, authored House Bill 1985, which was sent to the governor March 15.

The bill would create a presumption that COVID-19 is compensable for physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants who contracted the disease between March 12, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2021.

The measure also declares that the medical worker presumption “shall not apply to any person offered by such person’s employer a vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19,” unless that person is already immunized or a personal physician documents in writing that immunization poses a significant health risk to a particular worker.