Mayor Robert Garcia, Aug. 10, announced in an email that the Long Beach Unified School District will join the city’s other educational institutions in requiring proof of vaccination or weekly negative COVID-19 tests for all of their employees.
LBUSD is now the largest school system in California to implement this mandate.
Long Beach has been a leader throughout its vaccination program and it is now the largest city in California to require vaccinations or testing for employees of its city government, community college, state university and school district.
The mayor noted the LBUSD has been an invaluable partner for Long Beach’s pandemic response and is the largest employer in Long Beach with more than 12,000 teachers and staff members. He said this is absolutely the right decision and will not only protect the health of children as they return to classrooms in the coming weeks, but will also help stop the spread of COVID-19 throughout our community.
Since the City of Long Beach made its announcement two weeks ago, states, cities, schools and businesses have all joined in requiring proof of vaccination or frequent negative tests. These policies have resulted in more than a 40% increase in vaccinations in Long Beach during that time. Right now, 74% of adults in Long Beach have been vaccinated.
It’s never been more important to get vaccinated and do your part to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and its variants in our community. Getting your vaccine has also never been easier or more accessible. You can find more information on vaccines here www.longbeach.gov/information-on/coronavirus/vaxlb