In a press conference today, August 11, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new public health order that requires all school staff to be vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing.
The new order issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) applies to all public and private schools but does not apply to child care or higher education. Schools are required to verify the vaccination status of all workers, including certificated and classified staff, and volunteers who support school functions on a school campus. Workers who are not fully vaccinated or for whom vaccination documentation is not provided must undergo COVID-19 testing at least once weekly.
To support this new requirement, information about state-sponsored testing options for local educational agencies is available on the CDPH COVID-19 website. The CDPH order takes effect on August 12, 2021, and full compliance is required by October 15, 2021.