(La Porte, IN) - La Porte city employees who are not vaccinated are now required to wear a mask inside city-owned buildings. They will also need to be tested regularly for COVID-19. The city’s Board of Public Works and Safety approved the mandates yesterday.

There’s already been a mask mandate for unvaccinated police officers since last week in response to three officers battling symptoms of the virus right now, said LaPorte Police Chief Paul Brettin.

Three La Porte firefighters have also recently contracted the virus. Fire Chief Andy Snyder said one of the firefighters is vaccinated, but his symptoms are far less than what the other firefighters are experiencing.

Mayor Tom Dermody said the mask mandate for unvaccinated employees is the right decision even if some city employees decide to quit because of it. He said the city would not be able to function adequately, especially in areas like public safety, if many employees contract the virus and are placed under quarantine.

“Hopefully, people will see the bigger picture here,” Dermody said.