California is taking new action to prevent the COVID-19 omicron variant's spread amid a concerning rise in cases.
At the Native American Health Center in Oakland on Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom took a rapid test in front of the cameras — and live on TikTok — to demonstrate how easy it is. He wants K-12 public school students to have the same access when they come back from the winter break early next year.
"We are ordering 6 million tests, no charge, and we're gonna be sending those out to our partners all up and down the state to allow for priority access for at least one to two tests before our kids come back into schools," Newsom said.
Speaking alongside superintendents, teachers' unions and other leaders on Wednesday, the governor said he is determined to keep classrooms open, and to make sure hospital staff are also protected.
Newsom announced he's mandating healthcare workers receive their booster dose by Feb. 1, 2022. In the meantime, those who aren't boosted will need to test twice a week.
The measures are designed to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, or healthcare workers having to call out sick because they caught even a mild case of the virus. Newsom said both are possibilities because the rise in cases associated with the omicron variant.
"This time last week, we were at 2.3% positivity," Newsom said of the state's COVID-19 case rate on Wednesday. "Today, we're at 3.3% positivity."
According to state data, cases have almost doubled in just a week.
With COVID testing in high demand, California is also extending hours at state-run sites. You can find a site near you here.
Related
