The Los Angeles Community College District will now require their students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular tests starting this fall. Also, they must show proof of negative results.
LACCD joins the UC and CSU system who required vaccination or weekly testing last month for those going to campus.
“These policies strengthen the Board’s position that the health and safety of our employees and students remains the District’s priority,” LACCD Board of Trustees President Steve Veres said in a press release. “The policies, complemented by our improved ventilation systems and increased sanitization standards, provide our highest assurance against the spread of the coronavirus and its variants.”
Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez said they must follow the science.
“Medical experts have made it clear the most effective weapons against this disease are facial coverings and vaccinations,” Rodriguez said. “We have ramped up our supplies for face coverings and we will ensure that our colleges remain active as vaccination and testing sites to make it easy for our students and employees to get vaccinated.”
LACCD Director of Communications William Boyer said he hopes students will take the opportunity to get vaccinated.
“Our students are eligible to get up to $150 cash on their student bank card if they get the vaccine. We have incentives out there,” Boyer said. “The board policy that was approved is another step towards trying to make sure people understand the urgency with which health officials locally, in the state and the nation all agree that vaccinations are an important weapon in fighting the pandemic.”
Interim Athletic Director Susan Armenta in an email wrote they are encouraging their student-athletes to get vaccinated.
Armenta said they are testing them once a week. She mentioned the district needs to define what they mean by regularly.
“Does that mean more than once a week? If so, I feel they should be responsible for facilitating that,” Armenta wrote. “Our Athletics program does not have the resources to accommodate testing more frequently. We would need to hire more staff.”
