CDPH is distributing an additional 6 million tests to community partners serving disproportionately impacted Californians and 4 million to local health jurisdictions.Ĭalifornia has led the nation’s fight against COVID-19, implementing the most robust vaccination and testing programs in the country. In support of this effort, since August, the state has purchased over 12 million over-the-counter tests. Over the course of the pandemic, the state has established 6,288 testing sites statewide, comprising 31% of the nation’s testing sites. Today, 90% of the population lives within a 30-minute driving distance of a site. To ensure every Californian has access to testing, the state will also be expanding antigen test availability and expanding hours of operation at state-sponsored OptumServe sites that are already at capacity. “Over the holiday break, CDE will be working closely with the Governor and California’s public health and emergency management personnel to get testing supplies to families, districts and schools.” “As we fight Omicron, there is nothing more important for our kids than keeping schools safely open - that means deploying rapid tests,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. CDPH will work with local education and health partners to distribute those test kits as quickly and efficiently as possible. CDPH will expand those efforts by providing 1-2 rapid tests for every student. In early December, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) distributed approximately 2 million tests to schools for this purpose. To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our schools, the state is also increasing the availability of at-home COVID-19 tests across California so K-12 public-school students can be tested as they return to school from winter break. In the interim, all health care staff that have not received their booster must test for COVID-19 twice weekly until they are up to date on their vaccines. We will help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our communities by making at-home testing kits available to every K-12 public school student as they head back to the classroom from winter break.”īy February 1, 2022, health care workers and all employees in high-risk congregate settings, including nursing homes, will be required to get their booster. “The state is also redoubling our efforts to keep kids safe and keep schools open. “As the Omicron variant spreads rapidly across the country and circulates in all regions of the state, we’re taking immediate, proactive steps to protect Californians with boosters and expanded access to testing,” said Governor Newsom. Combined with the new federal policies announced yesterday, these actions will help ensure everyone in California has access to testing throughout the holiday season and that K-12 public school students can return to school safely. The COVID-19 booster requirement for health care workers will mitigate potential staffing shortages while helping to safeguard the state’s hospital capacity and protect the health and safety of Californians. SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced new booster requirements and testing measures to better protect all Californians as the Omicron variant becomes the dominant COVID-19 strain in the nation. Hours to be extended at testing sites with increased demand State to require health care workers to get boosters by February 1, 2022Īt-home test kits to be distributed statewide for students returning to public school
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