Sonoma County to require boosters for school staff, first responders, healthcare workers
PETALUMA, Calif. - Sonoma County has become the latest to enact new required COVID-19 protocols in the wake of the surging omicron variant.
Beginning Feb. 1, public and private K-12 school employees in the county, firefighters, emergency medical workers, police officers, and temporary disaster shelter employees will be required to get a third shot or test twice a week. The same applies to those working in pharmacies or dental offices.
The new mandate, expands upon a state order issued this week requiring the vast majority of healthcare workers to get a booster by February 1st or get tested bi-weekly.
"I think everyone realizes that this extra step makes it safer for all," said Steven Herrington, Sonoma County superintendent of schools.
Herrington says around 96 percent of his school staff are already fully vaccinated, and estimates that around 46 percent have received a third shot.
The school district has been keeping a close eye on the Omicron variant, a variant Herrington says he finds concerning after watching previous school years get chipped away at by major fires and flooding, followed by COVID-19.
"When you look at the 58 counties in the state of California, Sonoma has had more lost instructional days in the last four years than any other county in the state," said Herrington.
Herrington says, like many school districts across the state, Sonoma County schools are now spread thin.
"We are very short of staff and everybody is sort of doubled up," says Herrington, adding that the priority now is to keep teachers healthy, so they can keep the kids in the classroom.
"It’s just one of the necessary steps we need to follow to keep the system going, because when you can have stability for a child, it also creates security for a child," said Herrington.
In order to help expedite the boosting of school employees, the superintendent says they're coordinating a booster clinic with the county for educators in January.