• • California will require school personnel to show proof of vaccination and submit to weekly Covid testing.
  • Teachers, para-educators, custodial staff, bus drivers, and others are all affected by this new requirement.

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that all school staff will be required to show proof of vaccination and submit to weekly Covid testing. This is to ensure teachers and students are ready for in-person learning. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday.

The Golden state already requires vaccines or mandatory testing for state employees and health-care workers. That policy took effect on August 5.

Newsom stated that “we’re now following-up today to align our state strategy with our school strategy and become the 1st state in the nation to require that all our staff… submit a confirmation of vaccination or submit weekly testing.”

About 77.5% have had at least one dose from the Covid-19 vaccine. However, Governor Jerry Brown said that there are still many things to be done.

Newsom stated that the overwhelming majority of teachers are already vaccinated in the state. However, Newsom added that it was important to also get other staff vaccinated.

The new requirement will affect teachers, para-educators, custodial staff, and bus drivers, among others.

Newsom stated that “we think this is right to do and it is sustainable to keep our schools open.”

Newsom’s announcement follows Randi Weingarten, the president of American Federation of Teachers, who announced that she supports vaccine mandates for teachers. According to the White House, approximately 90% of teachers have been vaccinated. However, the president of the second-largest teacher union in the country said that schools should give unvaccinated teachers time to get immunized. She also suggested that exemptions be allowed for religious and medical reasons.

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Many states have implemented school mask mandates in the past two weeks without requiring vaccinations. Louisiana’s statewide mandate for masks covers all levels of education, from kindergarten to college. New Jersey and Illinois require masks for students in the 12 ^th grades.

New Jersey mandated vaccinations for state employees working in prisons and health-care. State hospital employees in New York are required to be vaccinated. MTA and Port Authority employees also need to show proof of vaccinations or submit for weekly testing.