San Diego County announced Thursday it will require full vaccination or weekly COVID-19 testing for employees starting sometime next month.
The announcement came in a 7:31 p.m. tweet, with the county adding that details were still being worked out.
"The County will begin requiring its employees to verify COVID-19 vaccination or undergo regular testing. Details being worked out but implementation expected by mid-August. Vaccination is the key to fully and safely reopening the economy," the tweet said.
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Weekly data shared by the county shows rising COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths among unvaccinated people. In the last 30 days, the county reported 11,391 people had tested positive for COVID-19. Of those, close to 90%, or 10,234 were not vaccinated, according to the data.
"This is turning into the pandemic of the unvaccinated, so I want to thank San Diegans for responding to our call to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, County public health officer. “The more contagious Delta variant is on the rise and being fully vaccinated affords the best protection against the disease.”
The county's workplace guidance regarding vaccines mirrors President Joe Biden's plan for federal workers also announced Thursday. The president encouraged governments and employers to follow similar vaccination requirements.
Earlier this week, the county said it was following the CDC in recommending face masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. The rate of spread of COVID-19 in San Diego is rated as "high" by the CDC, the county said.
