Covid-19 vaccine to be required for employees and students at Contra Costa Community District

Contra Costa County, California – Covid-19 vaccination will be required for employees and students from this fall after the Contra Costa Community District approved the mandate on Wednesday.

All district employees and students who attend at least one in-person class or visit a campus must be vaccinated, according to the mandate, which takes effect on November 1. Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, and Los Medanos College are all part of the district.

Meanwhile, campus visitors such as vendors and subcontractors will be required to undergo health assessments before arrival and are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated.

“COVID-19 and its many variants will be with us for a while, so we must take prudent steps like this one so we can continue providing face-to-face instruction and services for our students, while ensuring we have a safe place to learn and work for our students and staff,” Chancellor Bryan Reece said in a statement.

Employees and students will be able to apply for an exception or deferral to the requirement. The district will only grant exceptions to those with a medical excuse, the disabled, pregnant women or those with a religious objection.

If an exception is granted, the employee or student must undergo weekly COVID-19 testing, officials said.

The Contra Costa Community College District joins a growing number of and educational institutions on mandating vaccines for employees and students, including the California State University and University of California systems.