Teachers, school staff exempt from new state vaccination policy

Teachers and school staff are not included in a new state policy announced Monday requiring all state employees and health care workers to either show proof of full vaccination or be tested at least once a week.

Teachers and school staff are not state employees, Gov. Gavin Newsom clarified at Monday’s news conference in Oakland, and, thus, the state will not require them to show proof of vaccination. However, state officials are encouraging all employers, both in the private and public sectors, to adopt a similar vaccination verification policy.

The Centers for Disease Control encourages K-12 administrators to keep documentation of students’ and workers’ Covid-19 vaccination status in order to inform prevention strategies. The California Department of Public Health alluded to the CDC’s recommendation in its July 12 guidance on Covid-19 safety for K-12 schools.