JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – City of Jamestown employees will have access to extended COVID-19 leave into 2021, similar to federal mandates for up to 80 hours of paid sick and family leave.

City Administrator Sarah Hellekson recommended extending the leave plan through the end of June this year.

Hellekson reports that in 2020, each of the city’s 114 full-time employees had 80 hours of COVID leave. If an employee used the leave, it was deducted from those 80 hours.

She added that 47 employees, or 41%, used COVID leave for quarantine or other related items. 10 of those employees used all 80 hours. Around 2,080 hours total were used April through December of 2020 with each department having employees ill or quarantined at one point with COVID-19.

Councilmember Dave Steele agreed, stated the city should extend leave through June 30th, 2021.

Mayor Dwaine Heinrich added that under prevention, there should be a guideline for those who refuse a vaccine and get COVID-19.

The city approved to extend the COVID leave through June 30th and each employee begins the year with the same number of hours they had on December 31st, 2020. New employees will begin on their start date with 80 hours.

No motion was made on prevention regarding unvaccinated employees using leave for COVID-related issues at this time.

In other COVID-19 related city business, Mayor Heinrich asked the city to consider approving and participating in the North Dakota Rapid Antigen Test Program to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Jamestown.

The item failed for lack of a motion.