.Coping With Covid … Still: Though there are signs of hope, California continues to struggle with the virus

State officials announced Monday that health care workers and state employees will now be required to get vaccinated against Covid-19, or get tested regularly if they cannot verify their vaccination status.

The requirement, which officials underscored is not a pure vaccination mandate, will take effect Aug. 2 for state employees and Aug. 9 for a broad range of health-care settings and establishments, including outpatient and long-term care centers.

Those who choose to remain unvaccinated or cannot verify their vaccination status will be encouraged to wear a medical-grade face covering and required to test negative for the virus twice a week if they work in a hospital, or once a week if they work in an outpatient care facility like a dentist’s office.

“Too many people have chosen to live with this virus,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday during a briefing in Oakland to announce the new requirements. “We’re at a point in this pandemic where [an] individual’s choice not to get vaccinated is now impacting the rest of us in a profound and devastating and deadly way.”

A group of San Francisco bars will require proof of Covid-19 vaccination or a recent negative test result to be served indoors, the group announced on Monday.

The San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance, a group representing more than 300 local bar owners, announced that starting on Thursday customers who wish to remain inside their bars must show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test within the last 72 hours.

The SF Bar Owner Alliance said the new rule is in response to the group’s concern about an uptick in Covid-19 cases among its staff members.

“We believe we are obligated to protect our workers and their families and to offer a safe space for customers to relax and socialize,” SF Bar Owner Alliance said in a statement.

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As of Monday, at 5:30pm, officials confirmed the following number of cases around the greater Bay Area region:

  • Alameda County: 94,796 cases, 1,272 deaths (Totals include Berkeley Health Department data) 
  • Contra Costa County: 75,212 cases, 828 deaths  
  • Marin County: 14,721 cases, 214 deaths  (Totals include San Quentin State Prison)
  • Monterey County: 44,356 cases, 524 deaths 
  • Napa County: 10,346 cases, 84 deaths 
  • San Francisco County: 39,169 cases, 561 deaths 
  • San Joaquin County: 76,034 cases, 1,446 deaths 
  • San Mateo County: 43,995 cases, 588 deaths 
  • Santa Clara County: 121,767 cases, 1,707 deaths 
  • Santa Cruz County: 16,532 cases, 207 deaths 
  • Solano County: 35,482 cases, 245 deaths 
  • Sonoma County: 32,196 cases, 329 deaths 
  • Statewide: 3,807,971 cases, 63,806 deaths 

—Bay City News 

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