FRESNO, CA (KMJ) Teachers and school staff in California are now required to either show proof they’ve gotten the COVID-19 vaccine or be subject to weekly tests.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the first-in-the-nation plan Wednesday at a news conference at an elementary school in Alameda County.
California has already issued a similar requirement for state employees and health care workers.
“To give parents confidence that their children are safe as schools return to full, in-person learning, we are urging all school staff to get vaccinated. Vaccinations are how we will end this pandemic,” said Governor Newsom. “As a father, I look forward to the start of the school year and seeing all California kids back in the classroom.”
The new policy for school staff will take effect August 12, 2021, and schools must be in full compliance by October 15, 2021.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said that while the federal government likely won’t mandate vaccinations for teachers, local government and school districts probably should.
“There’s no substitute for in-person instruction, and California will continue to lead the nation in keeping students and staff safe while ensuring fully open classrooms,” said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. “Today’s order will help the state’s continued efforts to increase vaccinations, similar to the orders encouraging state and health care workers and businesses to get vaccinated.”
On Tuesday, Oakland and San Francisco School Districts announced its own teacher vaccine mandate.
“Educators want to be in classrooms with their students, and the best way to make sure that happens is for everyone who is medically eligible to be vaccinated, with robust testing and multi-tiered safety measures,” said California Teachers Association President E. Toby Boyd. “Today’s announcement is an appropriate next step to ensure the safety of our school communities and to protect our youngest learners under 12 who are not yet vaccine eligible from this highly contagious Delta variant.”
Despite California leading the nation in vaccinations, with more than 46 million doses administered and over 77 percent of those eligible having received at least one dose, Gov. Newsom says the state is seeing increasing numbers of people who refused to get the vaccine being admitted to the ICU and dying due to the Delta variant.
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