COVID vaccination required for employees

The Miami Heat announced Friday that they will require all employees be vaccinated against COVID-19, with a policy yet to be established regarding fans in attendance at FTX Arena.

The Heat’s staff policy includes a Sept. 1 deadline for all Heat Group employees, including full-time, part-time and interns, to be:

— Fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

— Or to have received their first dose of an FDA recognized vaccine.

— Or to have submitted a bona fide request for an accommodation for a qualifying medical condition or a sincerely held religious belief.

Per the team, “Employees who have not met one these requirements by September 1, 2021 will not be granted access to the office or any of our worksite locations.”

The team said the stance was taken in accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local and state health authorities, and the team’s health and medical advisors.

The team’s policy notes, “Employees who are not fully vaccinated, or have not submitted a formal request for an accommodation that has been granted or is still in the evaluation process by the next phase of our return to work will be deemed to have resigned.”

The team’s policy does not impact members of the team’s roster, who are governed by an NBA policy that leaves such decision to individual players, but also requires additional protocols for unvaccinated players.

The Sun Sentinel confirmed last season that all members of the 2020-21 season-ending roster had been fully vaccinated.

“The stability and success of the live events industry,” the Heat statement said, “hinges on prioritizing safety — of our players, our employees, our partners, our fans, our vendors and the media. One of the ways we can substantially minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission is to ensure our entire staff is vaccinated.”

The Heat have hosted public vaccination events at FTX Arena and are expected to hold a similar event soon, which would provide an additional employee vaccination option.

While several teams and leagues have established vaccination requirements for the coming season, the Heat have yet to announce such an attendance policy, with Governor Ron DeSantis having rebuked such a “vaccination passport” approach. Only at the end of last season did the Heat return to more typical home attendance procedures, with masks required.

The Heat are scheduled to open training camp Sept. 28, the preseason on Oct. 4 and the regular season on Oct. 21, all at FTX Arena.