City Of Hermosa Beach: Press Release | CITY COUNCIL REQUIRES HERMOSA CITY OFFICIALS, STAFF MEMBERS, CONTRACTORS AND CERTAIN VOLUNTEERS T ...

Press release from the City of Hermosa Beach:

09/29/2021 12:44 PM

City to Provide Weekly Tests for Unvaccinated Staff until They Meet New Requirements

HERMOSA BEACH – To help stop the spread of COVID-19, the Hermosa Beach City Council adopted a policy on Tuesday that requires City officials, staff members, contractors and certain volunteers to be vaccinated against the virus by Nov. 12. Until they are fully vaccinated, they will be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 tests. 

The deadline is based on the Council’s previous vote to require City staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after the Food and Drug Administration approved at least one of the vaccines for regular use. The FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine for regular use on August 23.  

The policy takes effect immediately and applies to all City staff and officials serving on commissions and boards, as well as contractors whose work brings them into City facilities. It also applies to volunteers who serve as Volunteers in Policing (VIPs), on the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), as interns and as Reserve Police Officers. Hermosa Beach City Councilmembers are already fully vaccinated.  

“We join local governments and businesses throughout the region in doing everything we reasonably can to beat the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Hermosa Beach Mayor Justin Massey.  

To work or volunteer at City facilities, unvaccinated City officials, staff, contractors and the volunteers listed in the policy must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test beginning Oct. 4. If they test positive for COVID-19, L.A. County Department of Public Health protocols require them to isolate at home for at least 10 days and to be free of symptoms and fever for at least 24 hours before returning to work.  

The City will begin providing COVID-19 tests at City facilities next week for City employees who are not vaccinated. The City will pay for those tests. City contractors, volunteers and officials to whom the policy applies must arrange and pay for their own COVID-19 tests, and the tests must meet the City’s standards for testing.  

On Nov. 12, being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be a condition of employment for City staff and a requirement for contractors, the designated volunteers and officials to continue serving the City. The new policy includes an opportunity for people with certain medical conditions and disabilities that preclude vaccination or with religious exemptions to seek accommodations with proper documentation. 

In developing the vaccine policy that the Council adopted, City staff participated in the required “meet and confer” process with the labor unions representing City staff. City staff discussed the impacts of the mandatory vaccination policy with the unions and modified the policy in response to issues raised by the unions in the meet and confer discussions. Additionally, City staff informed contractors, volunteers and officials of the recommendation to extend the policy to these groups. 

Already, 78 percent of the City’s 161 employees have reported they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition to the new vaccination requirement, the City has implemented other measures to protect City employees and the public, including requiring facial coverings in City facilities. City employees also continue to telecommute, when possible, and complete daily temperature checks and attestation forms when working in City facilities. 

Founded in 1907, Hermosa Beach is a thriving community of some 20,000 residents. Located on the southern end of the Santa Monica Bay in Los Angeles County, with beaches ranked among the best in the world, Hermosa Beach has been recognized for its work to highlight Southern California’s beach culture, foster a vibrant local economy and protect coastal and environmental resources. 

This press release was produced by the City of Hermosa Beach. The views expressed here are the author’s own.