WINTER PARK, Fla., Aug. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 6,300 employees of Holiday Retirement, a pioneer in independent living for seniors across the United States and Canada, will be required to receive COVID-19 vaccines, the company announced today. In each state permitted, Holiday's decision will require all employees who are working in and traveling to communities, and new residents, to receive their first dose by October 4, 2021.
Announcement of the decision coincides with the FDA's full approval on Monday (August 23) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The move also complements the January 2021 vaccine mandate by Atria Senior Living, which recently acquired Holiday Retirement and has attained a roughly 99% vaccination rate among staff.
Holiday Retirement CEO Lilly Donohue said the move is also a natural extension of the education and encouragement of employees and residents to make the choice to get vaccinated since early 2021, when vaccines became available to those living and working in independent living. Holiday had already required new employees to be vaccinated as of July 15, 2021.
"Making this decision now will help us more quickly achieve our goal of essentially completely vaccinated communities for the protection of our residents, staff, vendors and the public at large," Donohue said.
Atria Chairman and CEO John Moore saluted the vaccine decision by Donohue and the Holiday organization. "We're proud of Lilly and her team for making this choice. We've said all along that our residents deserve to live in a vaccinated environment, and our staff deserves to work in a vaccinated environment. We are unwavering in our determination to get each community in the Atria portfolio fully vaccinated," he said.
About Atria Senior Living and Holiday Retirement
Atria Senior Living is a leading operator of independent living, assisted living, supportive living and memory care communities in more than 430 locations in 45 states and seven Canadian provinces. With the recent addition of Holiday Retirement to its portfolio, Atria is now the residence of choice for more than 43,000 older adults, and the workplace of choice for more than 17,000 employees. Atria creates vibrant communities where older adults can thrive and participate, know that their contributions are valued, and enjoy access to opportunities and support that help them keep making a positive difference in our world. Glennis Solutions, a subsidiary of Atria Senior Living, is the only fully integrated, cloud-based software suite specifically designed to serve the senior housing industry. For more information about Atria, visit AtriaSeniorLiving.com or follow them on Facebook or Instagram. For career opportunities and more information about working for Atria, visit AtriaCareers.com. For more information on Glennis Solutions, visit GlennisSolutions.com. For more information about Holiday Retirement, visit HolidaySeniorLiving.com.
SOURCE Holiday Retirement
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