In two weeks, Contra Costa County will require law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and workers in homeless shelters to receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
If they aren’t boosted by Jan. 10, they will need to submit to weekly testing as county health officials try to limit the omicron variant's spread.
"The omicron variant is much more infectious than previous strains of COVID-19," Dr. Chris Farnitano, the Contra Costa County health officer, said in a press release on Monday. "Boosting is necessary for the best protection from omicron infection and transmission,"
In August, Contra Costa County required first responders to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or submit to weekly testing. Under the new health order, they would have to receive their booster dose within a month of becoming eligible.
Nearly 78% of Contra Costa County had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Monday. Children as young as 16 can receive a booster, but county officials said in Monday’s press release that "about one-third" of eligible residents had received one.
"Our hospitals are at risk of being overwhelmed if a large number of our must vulnerable residents get sick," Farnitano added. "Our goal is to ramp up the protection around places where there is an elevated risk of exposure, and people who are at high risk of serious illness if they become infected."
County officials said Monday that cases rose 156% over the last week, averaging 313 cases per day. For the week ending Sunday, unvaccinated Contra Costa County residents accounted for 47.2 new cases per 100,000 residents. By contrast, fully vaccinated residents averaged 25.2 new cases per 100,000, and boosted residents averaged 11.6 new cases per 100,000.
Contra Costa County reported its first three omicron cases last week. None of the county residents were boosted against COVID-19.
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