California Implements First-in-the-Nation Measures to Encourage State Employees and Health Care Workers to Get Vaccinated 

Published: Jul 26, 2021

State employees and health care workers must show proof of vaccination or get tested regularly

The state encourages all local governments and businesses to adopt similar measures 

SACRAMENTO – Today, the State of California is taking decisive action to combat the spread of COVID-19 and protect vulnerable communities – implementing a first-in-the-nation standard to require all state workers and workers in health care and high-risk congregate settings to either show proof of full vaccination or be tested at least once per week, and encourage all local government and other employers to adopt a similar protocol.

The new policy for state workers will take effect on August 2 and testing will be phased in over the next few weeks. The new policy for health care workers and congregate facilities will take effect on August 9, and health care facilities will have until August 23 to come into full compliance.

Despite California leading the nation in vaccinations, with more than 44 million doses administered and 75 percent of the eligible population has received at least one dose, the state is seeing increasing numbers of people who refused to get the vaccine being admitted to the ICU and dying. This increase is heavily due to the Delta variant, which is more contagious and kills people faster:

• As of last week, California’s statewide case rate more than quadrupled from a low in May of 1.9 cases/100,000/day to at least 9.5 cases/100,000.
• Our testing positivity was at a low of 0.7 percent in June, now it has risen to 5.2 percent.
• Our hospitalizations were at a low in June of under 900, and we are now approaching 3,000.
• The vast majority of new cases are among the unvaccinated, with 600 percent higher case rates among the unvaccinated than for those who are vaccinated.