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San Jose business and political leaders hope holdouts in the city will finally get vaccinated following the FDA’s approval of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine earlier this week. On Monday, the FDA officially endorsed Pfizer’s vaccine. Some businesses were waiting for full FDA approval to feel comfortable mandating vaccinations for their employees, said Dr. Jennifer Tong,...
UPDATE: San Jose mandates proof of vaccination for large events at city buildings
San Jose sports fans will need to show proof of vaccination the next time they see the Sharks play a home game. After a chaotic recess and more than two hours of comments from dozens of anti-vaccination protesters, the San Jose City Council voted Tuesday to require proof of vaccination for events of 50 or...
Protesters shut down San Jose council meeting ahead of vaccine mandate vote
Unmasked protesters opposing San Jose’s proof of COVID-19 vaccination mandate for large events at city-owned facilities forced the suspension of council proceedings for nearly an hour. More than 100 people—many unmasked and carrying signs with anti-vaccination messages—interrupted the City Council’s opening invocation on Tuesday, given by a Buddhist monk. A city official told San José Spotlight...
COVID strikes Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office weeks after workers return
Two employees at the Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office recently tested positive for COVID-19, causing some workers to question whether they went back to work too soon. Employees who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation told San José Spotlight the office was notified of a positive infection on Aug. 13, less than one month after...
Will Santa Clara County see another COVID shutdown?
Nearly two months after California lifted most pandemic restrictions, the Delta variant is driving a surge in positive COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. That’s prompting health officials to reinstate safety guidelines—and raising questions about the possibility of another shutdown. First identified in India, the Delta variant is believed to be twice as contagious as previous dominant COVID-19...
San Jose employees must vaccinate or be tested
San Jose employees will be required to show proof they’ve had a COVID-19 vaccine or take weekly tests, following the lead of the county and many other public agencies. In an email to employees on Wednesday, including the police and fire departments, the city’s Office of Employee Relations said by Aug. 23, it will require...
San Jose police have the lowest COVID vaccination rates in the region
San Jose police hold the lowest vaccination rate among law enforcement agencies within Santa Clara County, including Gilroy, Milpitas, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and the county itself, according to a survey of city employees. But a police union spokesperson has doubts about the survey’s accuracy. A little more than half of all sworn San Jose police officers completed...
Masks will be required indoors in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County and seven other Bay Area counties have issued a new health order requiring masks indoors in public places. The mandate applies to everyone regardless of vaccination status. Officials announced the health order during a news conference on Monday. The order, which takes effect midnight on Tuesday, applies to most public settings, with...
Masks mandatory for Santa Clara County students
The excitement of returning to school may be dimmed for Santa Clara County students, as they’ll have to wear masks when they go back to the classroom this fall. On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended indoor masking for all teachers, school employees, students and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status....
Santa Clara County to require COVID shots for public employees
Santa Clara County will require its 22,000 employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in an attempt to curb infections driven by unvaccinated individuals. The vaccine policy and timeline are still under development. The vast majority of county employees across all departments are fully vaccinated, a county spokesperson told San José Spotlight. The spokesperson did not provide...