As concerns about the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spread across the nation, San Jose is poised to become the first city in California to require booster shots as a mandatory requirement for vaccination.
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo announced the proposal Tuesday. If approved by the City Council, it would require all San Jose city employees to receive booster shots as a condition of their employment and would require all residents or visitors that enter city-owned facilities to do the same.
“To avoid crippling levels of hospitalizations and tragic outcomes, we have the great benefit of widespread access to booster shots, but we lack the benefit of time,” Liccardo said in a statement. “We must take decisive action to protect our workforce and our community, and a booster mandate will help.”
San Jose already requires proof of full vaccination at all city-owned facilities. In Los Angeles, vaccinations are required in a host of indoor businesses, including restaurants, movie theaters, hair and nail salons, gyms and museums. But no city in California yet requires the third round of vaccinations, which experts increasingly say can help protect people against the surging wave of COVID-19.
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