Faced with the rapidly spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus, state officials unveiled plans Wednesday to provide rapid coronavirus tests for students in K-12 public schools and expand hours at busy screening sites.

Those efforts, along with a previously announced requirement that healthcare workers must receive a vaccine booster, are the latest steps aimed at repelling the highly mutated variant, which has spread rapidly nationwide since the first case was confirmed in San Francisco three weeks ago.

The new booster requirement applies to workers in healthcare and high-risk congregate settings, such as nursing homes.

All those employees will need to be boosted by Feb. 1. Those who have not received their additional dose will be tested twice a week until the deadline, Gov. Gavin Newsom said during a briefing Wednesday.

Read the full story at LATimes.com.