California Governor Gavin Newsom Orders All Teachers to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine

By Tadi Abedje Published: August 11, 2021

California Governor Gavin Newsom Orders All Teachers to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine

FILE - In this Friday, May 22, 2020, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville, Calif. A federal appeals court has denied a Southern California church's request to overturn the state's coronavirus restrictions barring worship services indoors during the coronavirus pandemic. The Sacramento Bee says Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals leaves the door open for addressing Gov. Gavin Newsom administration's limits on church attendance if a California county is in a less-restrictive COVID-19 tier. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, Pool, File)

By: Tadi Abedje

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on Americans as a result of the rise in cases. What is also concerning is that there are millions of Americans who refuse to get the vaccine.

What makes this situation dire is that 618,363 Americans have passed away due to the coronavirus, according to the New York Times.

In California, which is the third-largest state in square miles, decided that they’re taking action by requiring its teachers and staff members to get the COVID-19 vaccine or get weekly testing in an announcement by Governor Gavin Newsom.

“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 … and that is knowing that the schools are doing everything in their power to keep our kids safe, to keep our kids healthy,” Governor Newsom said at a press conference.

Even though California has over half of its residents fully vaccinated, the state has almost four million COVID-19 cases and over 60,000 total deaths confirmed, according to the California COVID-19 tracker website.

The order will be starting on August 12 and facilities have to be in obedience by October 15.

“California is committed to safe, full, in-person learning for all in K-12 schools, following strong public health science,” Tomás J. Aragón, director and state public health officer for the California Department of Public Health, stated in the order.

The state did something similar a few weeks ago when they required their government and health care workers to get vaccinated.