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Gov. Newsom Announces Mandatory Statewide Teacher, School Staff Vaccinations

Homeschools, pre-k classes, colleges among the few exceptions to the new mandate

By Evan Symon, August 11, 2021 3:35 pm

Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday that all school teachers and members of school staff must either be vaccinated or be tested weekly for COVID-19, becoming the first state to instill mandatory vaccinations on teachers and school staff in the country.

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According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) order, all K-12 public and private schools will be covered by this order. Home schools, as well as pre-K and higher education schools, will not be covered, although some, such as the UC and CSU university systems, already have a vaccine order. One of five forms of vaccination proof will be accepted, with the most common expected be by digital means or through the CDC vaccination card.

If school workers opt for testing, it will take place at least once a week, with no exceptions being made, including for those who had tested positive before.

No punishments will be given if teachers or staff don’t comply with the order, although it is likely that they would not be allowed inside, or with other punishments, such as leaves-of absences or even firings, depending on the school.

Newsom and the CDPH made the decision following a growing number of delta variant COVID-19 cases occurring in California and claiming it is primarily affecting people who are unvaccinated.

“California is currently experiencing the fastest increase in COVID-19 cases during the entire pandemic with 22.7 new cases per 100,000 people per day, with case rates increasing tenfold since early June,” notes the CDPH order. “The Delta variant, which is two times more contagious than the original virus, is currently the most common variant causing new infections in California.

“Unvaccinated persons are more likely to get infected and spread the virus, which is transmitted through the air. Most current hospitalizations and deaths are among unvaccinated adults. Almost all K-6th graders are unvaccinated and will not be eligible for vaccines at the outset of the 2021-22 school year. Additionally, although some 7-12th grade students will be fully vaccinated by the start of the school year, many will not. As of August 10, 2021, less than 41% of Californians 12 to 17 years old were fully vaccinated.

“For these reasons, in order to prevent the further spread of COVID19 in K-12 schools, the following temporary and limited public health measures are necessary at this time.”

Speaking from an elementary school in Oakland on Wednesday, Newsom echoed the CDPH’s words and even added in his own reasoning, as a father, as well as Governor.

“We’re now following up today to align our school strategy to the state strategy, becoming the first state in the country to require that all of our staff, not just teachers, credentialed staff, parent educators, custodial staff, the bus drivers, folks that are critical to supporting the entire school ecosystem, also submit a verification of vaccination and/or submit to weekly testing,” added Newsom at the press conference. “We think this is the right thing to do, and we think this is a sustainable way to keeping our schools open and to address the number-one anxiety that parents like myself have for young children, and that is knowing that the schools are doing everything in their power to keep our kids safe, to keep our kids healthy.”

Recall candidates challenge new vaccination mandate

While support among health and education experts remained high, with teachers reporting an 81% vaccination rate across the U.S. as of this month, many, especially candidates challenging the Governor in the recall election next month, spoke out against the new requirement on Wednesday, citing personal choice issues, the difference between encouragement and ordering, and charging that Newsom is using statewide mandates through state workers and educators as political tools rather than a health policy.

Radio host Larry Elder, who is currently in the lead among recall candidates with 23% polling, said in a tweet “Gov. Elder will reverse this order. Encouraging vaccination is fine. Government mandating it is not.”

2018 GOP Gubernatorial candidate and fellow recall candidate John Cox also weighed in with a statement on Wednesday. “Gavin Newsom is a power hungry politician who wants to control every aspect of people’s lives,” said Cox. “Now he is effectively threatening people’s employment if they don’t do what he tells them to. We must draw the line and protect people’s freedoms.”

Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) specifically charged Newsom as using mandates as political machinations rather, tweeting on Wednesday that “Gavin Newsom needs to stop using teachers and nurses as political pawns. No other state has these mandates. A vote for the Recall is a vote for basic decency.”

Newsom’s Wednesday order follows other local, county, and state vaccination mandate orders, including mandating vaccinations for all state workers in late July.

Additional vaccinations covering large groups of people are expected in the coming weeks as delta variant cases continue to rise.

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22 thoughts on “Gov. Newsom Announces Mandatory Statewide Teacher, School Staff Vaccinations

  1. Here we go… the propaganda ramps up… odd that we never had to do this before during FLU SEASON…

    Of course Commiefornia “takes the lead” again (per Newsom’s rant points) in mandating government control over citizen’s lives, always under the auspices of the “safety” boogie-man….

    I like Governor Elder’s response….

  2. Well of course he did!
    #1001 reason to recall Gov Gav.
    Keep ‘m coming, you west coast grannie killer!

  3. Hold on people.
    Resist.
    Only 35 more days until this angry power abusing narcissist is out of office at which time all these crazy emergency orders and mandates will go away.

  4. NUMBERG CODE
    The judgment by the war crimes tribunal at Nuremberg laid down 10 standards to which physicians must conform when carrying out experiments on human subjects in a new code that is now accepted worldwide.

    This judgment established a new standard of ethical medical behavior for the post World War II human rights era. Amongst other requirements, this document enunciates the requirement of voluntary informed consent of the human subject. The principle of voluntary informed consent protects the right of the individual to control his own body.

    The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential. This means that the person involved should have legal capacity to give consent; should be so situated as to be able to exercise free power of choice, without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, overreaching, or other ulterior form of constraint or coercion; and should have sufficient knowledge and comprehension of the elements of the subject matter involved as to enable him to make an understanding and enlightened decision.

    1. And he news is out today that 2 Dominion employees are working at the CA Secretary of State’s office……me thinks the fix is in on the recall, and not in our favor

      1. Any such report should be specifically sourced, and if it can be specifically verified, that documentation should be reported to EIPca (and other election watchdogs) so it can be added to their cache of election funny business that will be investigated and, hopefully, addressed. Go to this link to make your incident report:
        https://www.eip-ca.com/index.htm

  5. Hey punk Newsom, see this middle finger? My Mother was a school teacher and if she was around today she would be giving you the same! Can’t wait for Sept. 14!

  6. The vax doesn’t have FDA approval, so mandating it would be illegal? Also, after learning that CDC pulled PCR tests, exactly what are they using and how reputable is it. Remember PCR tests were manipulated for false positives, by running cycles higher than 24-28. Hope it’s not a product of Mologic, that Gates and Soros just purchased.

  7. Think it might be time to “Demand” to see the science, Newsom and his ilk are referencing.
    Have you all seen the story of Peter King, Red Deer, Alberta… Went to court for a $1,200 mask fine
    Asked to see proof of isolated covid that the mandate was based on… at least 18 months since this whole drama started, but they couldn’t produce it. Returned with a slew of Ottawa officials and lawyers who couldn’t produce it either.

  8. How do they know the rate of Delta Variant infections if they aren’t testing for it? Do some research, you’ll see what I mean. This whole thing is propaganda.

  9. I hate in when the CDPH and/or the Governor, “as a father,” use the words more than likely, most cases and other very vague statements excluding real numbers or data regarding hospitalizations and death. Again targeting the unvaccinated when multiple breakthrough cases go unaddressed, not even acknowledged. The CDC stopped recording or investigating breakthrough cases as of May 1 unless they required hospitalization or death. How convenient that we will NEVER know the real number or the real percentage of vaccine efficacy as they conveniently stopped tracking them. Once again, we never hear the science that supports Newsom’s mandates. STOP the madness, Vote to Recall this tyrant!

  10. Pfizer 42% and Moderna 76% efficacy just posted today from a study by the Mayo Clinic which ended in July. I am sure those numbers are even lower today. The best immunity is your own antibodies!

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