Politics & Government
Hermosa Beach To Require Vaccines Or Tests For City Employees
The council voted to draft a policy requiring weekly tests or proof of vaccination.
Press release from the City of Hermosa Beach:
Aug. 16, 2021
To protect City employees and public health, the Hermosa Beach City Council voted Tuesday to direct the City Manager to develop a draft City policy that would require City employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or test weekly for the virus.
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The Council also directed the City Manager to include language that would require all City employees – except those subject to exceptions recognized under state or federal law — to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 within 60 days of at least one of the vaccines being fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Consistent with a recent Public Employment Relations Board decision authorizing the University of California to require COVID-19 vaccination, the City Manager and her staff will “meet and confer” with City employee unions about the draft policy. Staff will then bring the draft policy to the Council for approval.
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“COVID-19 vaccination makes City employees and the community safer, which is a priority,” said Hermosa Beach Mayor Justin Massey.
Since the Delta variant became the dominant strain in California in late June, COVID-19 infections have risen exponentially in Hermosa Beach and neighboring communities. For example, Beach Cities Health District reported just 1 new COVID-19 case in Hermosa Beach during the week of June 13 but 64 new cases during the week of August 1, the most recent week for which Beach Cities Health District has compiled data.
Already, 77 percent of the City’s 161 employees have reported they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition to the 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.
This press release was produced by the City of Hermosa Beach. The views expressed here are the author's own.
