Protesters decry Montana's anti-vaccine law at Missoula assisted living facility protest - The Missoulian

The owner of an assisted living facility in Missoula met Monday with protesters who are concerned about a resident who contracted COVID-19.

The protesters are also upset about a state law that prevents employers from requiring vaccinations.

The protest outside BeeHive Homes was organized by Summit Independent Living, a nonprofit organization that offers advocacy and other services to people with disabilities.

“A disabled resident of BeeHive Homes recently contacted Summit Independent Living after contracting COVID-19 in the facility,” explained Travis Hoffman, the interim director of Summit.

Although the resident was vaccinated when all BeeHive residents were initially vaccinated, the resident decided to get a booster shot after contracting COVID last week, Hoffman said. Since the middle of January, BeeHive Homes of Missoula has been under health officer’s order from the Missoula City-County Health Department for an uncontrolled COVID outbreak.

That meant the resident has been unable to leave the facility to get a booster shot or have someone come in, Hoffman said.

“In addition, and more importantly, BeeHive does not require staff to be vaccinated,” Hoffman said. “Disabled people are at far greater risk from COVID-19, and people living in any congregate setting are at extreme risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19.”

Ty Harding, the owner of the BeeHive Homes franchise in Missoula, came out and spoke with about a dozen in-person protesters, along with 27 people participating in a livestream of the event.

Several of the protesters, including Marsha Katz, Jenny Montgomery and Gavin Workman, asked Harding what he is doing to encourage his staff to get vaccinated. They suggested he offer incentives for vaccination, because a Montana law called House Bill 702, passed in 2021, prevents employers from requiring vaccinations.

Harding said the law, written by Republican legislators and signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte, prevents his facility from requiring vaccinations.

He also said about 25% of his staff have refused to get the vaccine, although he’s vaccinated himself and has tried to educate his employees about the benefits of vaccination.

BeeHive Homes is facing a staffing crisis, he said, and it would be impossible to fill positions if he required vaccination for employment.

“This is not a desirable job,” he said. “And it’s not easy to find people that have the heart it takes to do this. And for me to take 25% of my team and say, you can’t work here, even though you’ve worked here for 20 years, and you need to go somewhere else, that’s hard for me when nobody is lining up to take their place.”

Harding noted that the 25% who aren’t vaccinated feel very strongly about the issue.

“There’s another protest going on on the other side of this town that is totally opposite of yours,” Harding said, referring to a Sunday anti-vaccine mandate rally on Reserve Street.

After an hour-long conversation, the protesters convinced Harding to at least seek guidance from the health department on how to get a booster shot for the resident.

“If you don’t, we’ll be back again with more people,” said protester Michael Beers.

Harding told the Missoulian that he’ll work to get every resident a booster shot if they choose to do so.

“As for our residents that desire a booster shot, we are currently on lockdown,” he said. “We have been on lockdown for several weeks now. We are very close now to being released by the health department. Since we have been on lockdown in our five homes here, we have monitored and risk-managed essential doctor visits very closely and rescheduled non-essential visits.“

Harding has reached out to the health department to see when they could get someone in to give the disabled resident a booster shot, he said.

Once they are released from lockdown, all non-essential health care visits will continue, he added.

“Each case is unique, and we are doing our best to keep our residents and community safe,” he said.

Jenny Montgomery, a board member of Summit Independent Living, said HB 702 has put people’s lives in danger. Monday’s protest was also aimed at trying to convince the 25% of staff members to get vaccinated and stepping up pressure on state government.

“We need the Legislature to step up and protect people,” she said, adding that she doesn’t understand how staff members rationalize not getting vaccinated when residents get extremely sick or die from COVID-19.

Last year, the Missoulian spoke to family members of a 93-year-old man who died 10 days after contracting COVID-19 inside BeeHive Homes. BeeHive Homes was one of many long-term care facilities in Missoula that was put under a health officer's order in the summer of 2021.

Gavin Workman, a protester, held a sign that said “HB 702 is killing people.”

“People in a protected setting, in a hospital situation or in a congregate care facility should have a right to be around people who are vaccinated and not exposed to COVID-19,” Workman said. “And HB 702 allows for people who are unvaccinated to come and work in facilities where people should have a right to be protected from certain infectious diseases.”

source: https://missoulian.com/news/local/protesters-decry-montanas-anti-vaccine-law-at-missoula-assisted-living-facility-protest/article_556e2bfb-93b8-5206-ba6a-a892f4a61e04.html

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