California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a mandate on Wednesday for teachers in the state to be vaccinated or be subject to regular testing in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
“We think this is the right thing to do, and we think this is a sustainable way to keeping our schools open and to address the No. 1 anxiety that parents like myself have for young children, and that is knowing that the schools are doing everything in their power to keep our kids safe,” Newsom said on Wednesday.
The move, which marks the first major statewide mandate for teachers in the country, was heralded by Newsom, who has touted the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and encouraged all who are eligible to take the shot for months. Mandates have gained momentum in recent weeks as the delta variant has sparked outbreaks in areas with low vaccination coverage. In Hawaii, for example, Gov. David Ige has announced plans to mandate vaccines for public workers, including teachers, starting next week.
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“Those that are unvaccinated need to get vaccinated,” Newsom said at a press conference on Friday. “That way, we can keep our kids back in person without any stress or anxiety for the rest of the year.”
The new order is expected to go into effect in mid-October, sources told CNN.
School districts in Sacramento, San Francisco, and Long Beach have implemented measures requiring teachers to be vaccinated, and Los Angeles Unified, the largest school district in the state, provides educators the option to be tested weekly or show proof of vaccination.
Businesses and organizations have been divided over what measures to take in regards to COVID-19 safety as vaccines are readily available for anyone 12 years of age or older.
Airlines, including Southwest, American, and Delta, will provide employees the option of remaining unvaccinated, unlike United Airlines, which mandated that all employees get vaccinated.
States and localities have also differed in their approaches. While Democratic-leaning areas such as New York City are requiring proof of vaccination for admission into restaurants and gyms, Florida, Texas, and several other states have banned the use of vaccine passports, which some say infringe on personal liberties.
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The Golden State contains more than 1,000 school districts and more than 300,000 teachers, amounting to roughly 6.1 million students. The state has had more than 4 million cases of COVID-19, with 55% of the state’s population now fully vaccinated against the disease, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker.
Recent spikes in delta variant cases in the state have prompted local governments to reinstate mask mandates. Los Angeles County, for instance, was the first California county to reintroduce indoor mask requirements regardless of vaccination status. California recorded roughly 11,800 new COVID-19 cases over the past week, a sharp increase from the average 1,800 new cases reported over the first week of July. The rate of daily vaccinations, meanwhile, has remained relatively steady since early July. So far, more than 66% of California adults have received at least one shot so far, and more than half of Californians have now been fully vaccinated.
The Washington Examiner contacted representatives for the California Teachers Association and Newsom but did not immediately receive responses.
