These new requirements represent a sudden shift in policy by some of the nation's largest public employers. Getty Images Coronavirus Spencer Platt/Getty Images Coronavirus Government leaders to workers: Get vaccinated. California is about to experience a fourth surge due to the highly contagious Delta variant.OAKLAND California, New York City, and the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday that their government employees must be vaccinated regularly. This is despite the fact that Covid-19 has been rising alarmingly in the country.These changes mark a sudden shift in policy by some of the nation's largest public employers. They initially tried to encourage the nation's stagnating vaccine intake but this was not enough. These changes will directly impact hundreds of thousands of people from California's health care workers and state officials to the frontline VA health staff in all 50 states.California will require state workers and all public and private health care workers to show proof of Covid-19 vaccination or undergo testing at least once per week. New York also expanded an earlier announced mandate for health workers to include all 300,000.Monday's Mayor Bill de Blasio stated that we have exceeded the limits of a voluntary system. We need more mandates. Different types, different places.Monday's announcement by the Department of Veterans Affairs marked the official adoption of such a policy. The White House is not a fan of mandatory vaccines and prefers to encourage local governments and private companies to establish their own rules regarding vaccinations.Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough stated Monday that every Veteran and VA employee who steps foot in a VA facility should know that we are doing everything possible to protect them against COVID-19. This mandate will allow us to fulfill that fundamental promise once more.According to the New York Times which first reported the decision, approximately 115,000 employees will be covered by the VAs mandate. The workers will have eight weeks to be vaccinated.California's 246,000 state employees will have to be tested for the virus weekly or show proof of vaccination starting next month. Public schoolteachers are not subject to the rule, as they are employees of local districts.This new state requirement will apply to thousands of health care workers working in both public and private settings. Patients in high-risk facilities that require vaccinations will need to be tested twice per week. They will also be asked to wear N95 masks.California Governor Gavin Newsom said that too many people have decided to live with the virus. At a Monday news conference in Oakland, Gavin Newsom stated that too many people have chosen to live with this virus. We are at an epidemic point, this pandemic where individual choice is not made to get vaccinated is now affecting the rest of us in devastating and fatal ways.California is poised for a fourth surge due to the highly contagious Delta variant. The state's case rate is now five times higher than on May 15 and most new cases and hospitalizations continue disproportionately to those who have not been vaccinated.Newsom stated that 75 percent of Californians are eligible for the vaccine and that the state saw an increase of 16 percent in the number of new vaccinations last week.Last week, San Francisco's health officials and those from two other Bay Area counties recommended that employers provide proof of vaccination. Pasadena and San Francisco already announced that their city workers would be required to be vaccinated when the vaccine is fully approved by federal regulators.Bars and restaurants are starting to ask for proof of vaccination. A San Francisco alliance of 500 bars recommended that their members request verification upon entry on Monday.The NFL announced last week that any team experiencing an outbreak of unvaccinated players could lose their games. This is in addition to a multimillion dollar financial incentive for teams and their players to get vaccined.The state's new policy was supported by a major California hospital trade union and a major health care union. Officials at SEIU-UHW described the move as "a reasonable step to safeguard the safety and well-being of patients and healthcare workers." Many of these workers are currently dealing with prolonged trauma and stress from the pandemic. According to the union, 70% of its employees have been vaccinated.The approach is not without its critics. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene used this moment to call for Newsom's resignation ahead of the Sept. 14 recall elections.The Georgia Republican tweeted, "Mandating vaccines to peoples will is unconscionable." "This is why you're being recalled."Newsom was frustrated by those who misuse their megaphones for misinformation about vaccines during Monday's press conference."We are exhausted by Tucker Carlsons and Ron Johnsons." The governor stated that the Marjorie Taylor Greenes have left them exhausted. "We are exhausted by the right-wing echo room that has been spreading misinformation about the vaccine's efficacy, safety and security. ... It is disgraceful and unconstitutional, and should be condemned."This report was contributed by Nick Niedzwiadek, Ta Kvetenadze and Ta Kvetenadze.
