Board Rescinds Vaccine Mandate
At its August 2 Board meeting, the Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees rescinded the District's COVID-19 vaccination requirement for students, District personnel, and visitors at District facilities.
The District will continue to message the positives of receiving COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters as well as offer faculty, staff, and students regular testing opportunities. The colleges will also provide personal protection items on the campuses and at District facilities.
The Board also directed District leadership to reinstate the policy of mandatory masking while indoors at District and college facilities. Additionally, outdoor masking requirements may apply if an outbreak should occur or if directed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or the Riverside County Department of Public Health.
As of August 1, 79.5 percent of California residents have received at least one dose of a vaccination (or about 31.1 million individuals). And, 72 percent are fully vaccinated. For the age group of 18 to 49, 78 percent are fully vaccinated, and 10 percent are partially vaccinated. In Riverside County, 61.8 percent of residents are fully vaccinated. And, other than San Bernardino County (58.9 percent), the other counties touching Riverside County have vaccination rates of 72 percent or higher. Amongst all states, California ranks 16th as the most vaccinated state.
Faculty, professional staff, and students will be required to self-report positive COVID-19 test results so the county can continue tracking positive cases.
“Because of leveling infection rates and the less severe symptoms with the BA. 5 variant it is time to remove the vaccination requirement," Wolde-Ab Isaac, chancellor, said. “It is important to recognize that this virus will not be eliminated. As we have done with many of the other viruses, we will need to learn to live with it. It has become clear that we have transitioned from a pandemic situation.
“(At the same time), we will continue to advocate and popularize the benefits of being vaccinated."