Santa Ana To Require Employees To Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19
SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — The City of Santa Ana will require all of its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, City Manager Kristine Ridge announced this week.
More cities and businesses across the state are mandating COVID-19 vaccination, especially as the more contagious Delta variant has pushed case rates up in recent weeks. Santa Ana will be the first city in Orange County to require vaccination.
"Santa Ana has the highest case rate in Orange County, and more than 800 Santa Ana residents have died from this disease," Ridge said in a statement. "With case numbers rising again, almost entirely among the unvaccinated, it's essential that we as a City lead the way and do everything we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among our employees and in our community."
The city of Los Angeles will also require its employees to get the vaccine, barring any medical or religious exemptions. Meanwhile, Long Beach is requiring its employees to get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing, which will also be required of all school employees across the state. California, however, has strengthened its mandate for healthcare workers, and is requiring vaccination unless the worker has a medical or religious exemption.