State health officials reported there were 10,356 new reported COVID-19 cases in California on Thursday. That brings the total reported cases to date for the state to more than 3.8 million. An increasing number of businesses and cities are adopting vaccine mandates as the state's COVID-19 numbers grow.
State officials found that cases are increasing statewide among the unvaccinated. From July 14-20, the average COVID-19 case rate for those unvaccinated was 20.7 per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, the average case rate for those who are vaccinated is at a low 3.5 per 100,000 people. Of Thursday's reported 3,722 hospitalizations, 828 were in the Intensive Care Unit.
More than 43.8 million vaccinations have been administered in the state. About 21.2 million people are fully vaccinated.
Several cities and businesses have followed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s vaccination and testing measures over this past week, including the city of Los Angeles.
Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Council President Nury Martinez announced Tuesday that city employees would have to show proof of vaccinations or submit a weekly negative COVID-19 test.
L.A. County is currently considering whether to require employees to show proof of vaccination or take weekly COVID-19 tests.
Businesses have also begun to mandate that their employees get vaccinated or face weekly tests.
Deadline reported on Thursday that Netflix will mandate all actors and personnel who work closely with the actors for all U.S. productions must be vaccinated. It is the first major study to implement such a policy.
More major studios are expected to follow in the coming weeks. Facebook and Google, too, adopted a vaccine mandate.
“As our offices reopen, we will be requiring anyone coming to work at any of our US campuses to be vaccinated,” Facebook’s Vice President of People Lori Goler said in a statement.
“How we implement this policy will depend on local conditions and regulations.”
Disney also adopted a vaccine mandate for salaried and non-union hourly employees.
United Nurses Association of California/Union of Health Care Professionals President Denise Duncan applauded the governor’s measures.
“COVID-19 transmissions are high, we’re in a fourth surge, and we know that unvaccinated people are suffering the most,” she said in a statement.
“This is a forward-thinking order from Governor Newsom which will save lives by protecting patients and caregivers both. Our nurses and health care professionals are still reeling from the last year and a half of the pandemic, including staffing shortages. This is a proactive step to protect patients, workers, and the broader community.”