California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Wednesday announced that teachers and other school staff will be required to get vaccinated or agree to get regularly tested.
Why it matters: California is the first state in the U.S. to impose such a requirement. Most states are allowing individual school districts to decide on vaccine and mask requirements.
- School districts in San Francisco, Oakland Sacramento, and Long Beach have already made vaccines mandatory.
- California also recent instituted a vaccine mandate for health care workers
Details: The mandate will go into effect August 12, and schools must be in full compliance by October 15.
What they're saying: “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,” Newsom said in a statement. “As a father, I look forward to the start of the school year and seeing all California kids back in the classroom.”
