Novant Health, now the Wilmington area’s largest employer, announced July 22 that all employees must be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by Sept. 15. The vaccine mandate includes workers at NHRMC, Novant Brunswick Medical Center as well as a host of clinics and other outpatient facilities in the area.
 
“We appreciate and acknowledge the tens of thousands of team members who eagerly received the vaccine,” Novant said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the reality is that vaccination rates remain stagnant across the country, including at Novant Health.”
 
Novant joins with the state’s largest health care systems in mandating employee vaccinations, including Atrium Health, UNC Health and Duke Health. Also, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough announced that the vaccine will be mandatory for anyone who provides direct patient care. The VA has outpatient clinics in Wilmington and Supply.