Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday at Carl B. Munck elementary school in Oakland, that all staff, not just teachers, that work in the state school system must either submit vaccine verification or submit to weekly testing.
California is the first state in the country to issue this type of ordinance. Hawaii issued a similar mandate last week that requires public school teachers to provide proof of vaccination or submit to weekly testing, but it didn't include all school workers. California's mandate includes custodians, bus drivers, and other support staff that work in education.
This is the best solution to ensure schools stay open, and "To address the number one anxiety that parents like myself have," said Newsom. "Knowing that schools are doing everything in their power to keep our kids safe."
The decision builds off the recent mandate requiring all 246,000 state employees to provide proof of vaccination.
The new order for schools was influenced by a number of factors, including moves of large school districts such as San Francisco Unified and an increasing number of large companies issuing similar mandates.
Newsom said that he hopes the mandate will encourage more people to get vaccinated, particularly as more variants of the virus arise.
California has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, but according to Newsom, "It’s not good enough."
"We have more work to do," he said.
Along with the mandate, Newsom outlined that $124 billion is being invested in education this year, implementing various school initiatives, such as after school programs and mental health support for students.
The governor stressed the importance of everyone eligible getting vaccinated. "If we want to end this pandemic, this disease, we can do it in a month," he said.
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