Westgate mandates proof of COVID vaccination by Oct. 15
David Siegel has told his Westgate team members in clear terms that if he weren’t vaccinated for COVID, someone else would be running the company.
Siegel, who has been vaccinated, contracted COVID-19 in July. On Friday, he told his employees they would need to show proof of vaccination to continue working for Westgate. About 2,400 employees in Las Vegas and 10,000 company-wide are required to follow the new directive if they expect to remain with the company.
Exemptions can be made for those who provide proof of a valid medical exemption or other potential exemption as outlined in Westgate’s COVID-19 vaccination policy
The policy covers all employees in Westgate’s food-and-beverage partnerships, and the hotel’s resident performers and their casts and crews at International Theater and Westgate Cabaret.
Siegel shared a letter with team members, detailing his experiences in battling COVID.
“I contracted pneumonia and my immune system was suppressed, which made it very dangerous for me to catch this terrible virus. I got sick and was admitted to the hospital to monitor my oxygen levels,” Siegel wrote. “The doctors who treated me told me that had I not been vaccinated, I likely would not be here today to share this story with you. The antibodies in my blood from being vaccinated helped me fight the virus and to put it simply, the COVID-19 vaccine saved my life.”
Siegel went on to say that, over the past few months, the company has lost several team members. All of those who perished were unvaccinated. “I mourn their loss each day and wish I could bring them back to their families. The loss of one of our Westgate Team Members to this virus is one too many,” Siegel said.
Such loss of life prompted him to mandate proof-of-vaccination in mid-October.
Westgate President and General Manager Cami Christensen said Saturday, “I am so proud of David’s leadership and his on going commitment to keeping our Team Members and guests safe.” She added, “David has always been a industry leader with his commitment to team member health, most recently in COVID safety, and lastly his overall focus on the opioid epidemic and saving lives nationally in America.”
The loss of life, and the capacity to help save lives, prompted Siegel to mandate proof-of-vaccination effective mid-October.
“Westgate is not the first major company to make this decision, and we will not be the last,” Siegel said. “Vaccines are the single greatest tool we have for ending this pandemic, keeping ourselves and our families safe and returning life back to normal.”
The 86-year-old resort magnate ended with, “This is the first step and I ask you to join me. Frankly, had I not been vaccinated, it would not be me asking you to get the vaccine today.”
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Letter sent from Westgate Las Vegas founder David Siegel to his employees on Friday, Sept. 10, 2021:
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To My Valued Team Members,
As some of you know, and many do not, I contracted COVID-19 in July 2021. I contracted pneumonia and my immune system was suppressed which made it very dangerous for me to catch this terrible virus. I got sick and was admitted to the hospital to monitor my oxygen levels. The doctors who treated me told me that had I not been vaccinated, I likely would not be here today to share this story with you. The antibodies in my blood from being vaccinated helped me fight the virus and to put it simply, the COVID-19 vaccine saved my life.
In the past few months we have lost several Team Members to this horrible virus - all of those Westgate Team Members who died were unvaccinated. I mourn their loss each day and wish I could bring them back to their families. The loss of one of our Westgate Team Members to this virus is one too many.
Through my life and career I have been lucky enough to maintain friendships and relationships with many hospital administrators, doctors and others who are on the front lines of fighting this pandemic. When I speak to each one, they all say the same thing – with rare exception, all of those who are seriously ill or dying from COVID-19 are those that remain unvaccinated. According to the most recent CDC statistics, the probability of COVID-19 infection for a vaccinated person is somewhere between 1 in 5,000 and 1 in 10,000.* To put that in perspective, at a 1 in 10,000 chance, that means it would take more than 90 days of exposure to COVID-19 for a vaccinated person to have even a 1% chance of infection.
We are in the middle of the most dangerous resurgence of this virus since the pandemic began and I feel now more than ever we must do all that we can to help keep you and your loved ones safe. It is for these reasons that I am letting you know that effective October 15th, I am requiring all of our Westgate Team Members to be vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination to Team Member Services ("TMS"). Westgate is not the first major company to make this decision and we will not be the last. Vaccines are the single greatest tool we have for ending this pandemic, keeping ourselves and our families safe and returning life back to normal. An exemption may be made for those Team Members who have provided to TMS proof of a valid medical exemption or other potential exemption as outlined in our COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.
While I realize this decision may be unpopular with some, we are in an unprecedented time and it requires definitive leadership on our part. I also realize that some Team Members believe that they are healthy enough that they do not feel they are in danger of any life threatening illness and therefore do not need the vaccine. However, I would counter that there are many cases of those who were unaware of underlying medical conditions and there is simply no way of knowing whether you will have mild symptoms or face life threatening consequences. We considered several other options including higher insurance premiums for the unvaccinated, but all of these options prove to be more expensive to the Team Member and at this time, less reliable. The only real solution to encourage vaccinations is to require it - this is the best approach to protect everyone.
Westgate and its Team Members must do our part in helping to end the pandemic, support our local communities and remove the strain from our overworked healthcare workers. This is the first step and I ask you to join me.
Frankly, had I not been vaccinated, it would not be me asking you to get the vaccine today.
Sincerely,
David A. Siegel
Founder, President & CEO
Proud Vaccinated Team Member
