California is no longer relying on the honor system for COVID-19 vaccinations. Next month, state workers will be required to show proof of their vaccine status or undergo routine testing.
The people we spoke with said they agree with the new policy, although not everyone said it would be easy.
“Doesn't bother me. I don't know how other people feel about it, but to me, I think public safety, to me is, number one, because I lost my mother. That's why,” said Solvang visitor Cheryl Dagger.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday that all state and health care workers must release their vaccination status to their employer or submit to weekly testing in order to work on site.
Richard Glaves said, “I don't see it as being anything that would bother me, personally, as an invasion of privacy, and as much as it just shows you that I'm not a danger to others.”
Currently, there is an honor system, also called a self-attestation program for many workplaces.
Governor Newsom says they hope this new system will encourage other employers to do the same.
Employers can independently decide if their employees must be vaccinated to get back to work.
Twin Cities Community Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Robert Cook, who is also part of the COVID-19 response taskforce at the Templeton hospital, says the new requirements will make things more challenging, but he feels it’s a good thing.
“It will make our operations more complicated because testing our employees once or twice a week takes a lot of resources. However, we have a high vaccination rate here at Twin Cities and the high 70% percentile and we believe this may help us to be able to encourage others to get vaccinated as well," Cook said.
The new requirements will begin in August.
Glaves added, “The nuts and bolts of this consideration is health and well being for everybody, not just the potential patient that would choose to get vaccinated or choose to not be vaccinated.”
Governor Newsom says he expects full compliance by Aug. 23.