California Govt. Workers Required to Be Vaccinated

Gov. Gavin Newsom and California officials said on Monday they would require government workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19 or be tested weekly.

QUICK FACTS:
  • California’s orders will apply to the approximately 238,000 state employees, but also to healthcare workers, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
  • Employees must begin showing proof of vaccination.
  • The order will take effect August 2.
  • The unvaccinated must wear masks in the office and be tested for the virus weekly.
  • All California healthcare workers in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities—including private facilities—must show proof of vaccination (or submit to testing twice a week) in addition to wearing a mask.
  • Unvaccinated individuals in outpatient healthcare facilities, such as dental offices, will be required to test once a week and wear a surgical mask.
BACKGROUND:
  • California public health officials said the move to mandate vaccination status is “geared toward encouraging individuals to get vaccinated,” notes WSJ.
  • 43.5 million vaccine doses have been administered in California.
  • Dozens of groups representing health care workers in the U.S.—such as the American Medical Association—are calling for mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations for their industry amid the Delta variant spread.
  • However, laboratory-based experiments at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis indicate that COVID vaccines may be less effective against current variants of the virus.
  • Moreover, even vaccinated Olympic Athletes and coaches, for example, have been testing positive for COVID, American Faith reports.

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