JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. – Joining a growing list of states banning so-called vaccine passports, Wyoming governor Mark Gordon issued a directive that prevents state agencies, boards and commissions from requiring such paperwork to access state spaces and state services.
The directive instructs state agencies, boards, and commissions to provide full access to state spaces and state services, regardless of a constituent’s COVID-19 vaccination status.
“Vaccine passport programs have the potential to politicize a decision that should not be politicized,” Gordon said. “They would divide our citizens at a time when unity in fighting the virus is essential, and harm those who are medically unable to receive the vaccine. While I strongly encourage Wyomingites over the age of 16 to get vaccinated against COVID-19, it is a personal choice based upon personal circumstances.”
Montana, Idaho, Utah, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Arizona are among those states that have enacted or expressed interest in banning any kind of mandatory vaccine documentation. Other states, like New York and California, have taken steps toward setting up infrastructure that would potential track who has had a vaccine and who has not.
Gordon’s directive further urges counties, cities, and towns in Wyoming, as well as encourages private businesses, to provide full access to public spaces and services, regardless of an individual’s vaccination status.
Gordon noted that more than 180,000 Wyomingites have received one of the effective COVID vaccines safely. Both the Governor and First Lady have been vaccinated, and he continues to urge residents to choose to receive the vaccine to protect lives and help Wyoming move closer to ending the pandemic.
