Californians may soon have to show proof of vaccination to go about much of their daily lives.
State lawmakers, including Oakland Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, are considering a COVID-19 vaccine requirement that would be among the most sweeping in the country.
According to the Sacramento Bee, which obtained a draft of the proposal, a coalition of Democratic lawmakers is considering introducing legislation that would require people to show they are fully vaccinated before going inside restaurants, gyms, bars, theaters and more places.
The news comes after weeks of building momentum toward some sort of widespread mandate. Earlier this month, San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to adopt a similar requirement. And California already has a vaccine or negative COVID test requirement on the books for large indoor events like concerts and sports games with more than 1,000 attendees. And the state has mandated that people in certain professions, such as health care workers, be vaccinated.
Elsewhere, New York City announced this summer it would require at least one dose of vaccine for indoor dining and mandated vaccination for certain employees, including in its massive Education Department. The Pentagon has said service members must get vaccinated, and some major employers, like Disney World, are requiring workers to be vaccinated. United Airlines has mandated the vaccine for U.S.-based employees and Delta Airlines recently said it would require employees to be vaccinated or pay a $200 monthly health insurance surcharge. The average COVID-19 hospitalization, the company said, costs Delta $50,000.
Wicks tweeted in July, “It’s time we do something uncomfortable: make vaccination mandatory — at schools, gyms, hospitals, workplaces, etc.”
This is alarming: CA’s new COVID surge would have put many counties back into the most restrictive tier under our reopening blueprint.
It’s time we do something uncomfortable: make vaccination mandatory—at schools, gyms, hospitals, workplaces, etc. Thread—https://t.co/a3SsbzsZdS
— Buffy Wicks (@BuffyWicks) July 20, 2021
The Bee reported the new proposal, aimed at driving up vaccination rates as the highly transmissible delta variant fuels a surge in new cases and hospitalizations, could say employers must require employees to show proof of vaccination or submit to regular testing.
John Swartzberg, an infectious disease expert and professor emeritus at UC Berkeley, thinks a widespread rule makes sense.
“We tried the carrot with a lot of benefits for people who decide to get vaccinated,” he said, pointing to the gift cards and cold hard cash the state handed out to try to sway holdouts. “They are only so-so in terms of effectiveness.”
But if people can’t go to their favorite restaurant on a cold winter day when the prospect of outdoor dining is less alluring or hang out with friends at a bar, he said, he thinks more people will line up to get a jab. Swartzberg also said he would be more likely to consider returning to his gym if he knew everyone inside was vaccinated. So even if a requirement drew criticism, it might also drum up new business. It would also, he said, create a safer working environment for employees.
UCSF infectious disease expert Monica Gandhi agrees that a statewide requirement makes sense.
“I do like the idea of a statewide requirement for entry into restaurants, gyms, etc. as I think it will get more people vaccinated,” Gandhi said in an email. “We do need some caveats like they allow in Europe, like a history of natural COVID-19 and those who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated (<12) but I think vaccine passports are a very effective way to increase vaccination rates in our state.”
It was not immediately clear if the proposal will be introduced in Sacramento this year or held until January. This year’s legislative deadline is Sept. 10, just four days before the Sept. 14 recall election which will decide whether Gov. Gavin Newsom gets to keep his job. Republican challengers have criticized Newsom and Democrats for instituting mask and vaccine requirements and promised to reverse them if elected.
Wicks’ office said she was not available for an interview Thursday and that the draft of the legislation referenced in the Bee was quickly evolving.
Any proposal is certain to draw immediate ire from some circles. Earlier this week, dozens of unmasked protesters forced the temporary evacuation of San Jose’s council chambers as the city council debated and ultimately approved a vaccine mandate for attendees and staff at events with at least 50 people held at city facilities like the SAP Center. Across the state, parents have protested mask requirements at school board meetings and schools.
Wicks acknowledged she is likely to face pushback in an interview with the Bee.
“Are there going to be people who fight it? Probably,” she said. “What I’m focused on in the legislature is putting forth policy that can help us get out of the pandemic.”
