Marin’s police, firefighters and ambulance medics will soon be subject to COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County’s public health officer, announced Friday that first responders must provide proof of vaccination or submit to weekly testing. Sonoma, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Francisco counties have established similar mandates.
The new order, which takes effect Sept. 15, is the same given to Marin County school employees earlier this month, Willis said. It also extends to all public sector employees, meaning city and any local government staff. The difference though, is that unvaccinated municipal workers will not be required to test weekly, unless ordered to by their employers, Willis said.
Additionally, he said, the order fills a gap in the state mandate for health care professionals because it covers private ambulance crews.
The order comes only days after Willis said the county is in no hurry to target Marin’s first responders for inoculation mandates.
“The reality is that we’re seeing right now our transmission rates are really high at 17 cases per 100,000 (per day),” Willis said.
“That’s actually one of the lower case rates in the country, which says something about how active this virus is,” Willis said. “We would actually be in the ‘purple’ tier if we were still using the state’s blueprint system.”
Moreover, he said, 18 coronavirus patients were hospitalized in Marin on Friday, most of them unvaccinated, Willis said.
“The delta variant is extremely good at finding unvaccinated people,” he said.
Willis said the county has seen that outbreaks in high-risk settings, when they occur, are often sparked by infected staffers or visitors who unknowingly bring the virus into the site. By having more first responders vaccinated, it will protect them and the people they serve, Willis said.
John Bagala, president of the Marin Professional Firefighters union, said he is talking to the California State Firefighters’ Association as well as Marin’s fire chiefs about the impacts of the order.
“We’re committed to all workers and all members of the community — it’s a top priority,” Bagala said. “We’re also going to continue to stand by our members to make their own decisions. Those who are unvaccinated will continue to wear masks and undergo surveillance testing and other protective measures.
“Not only do I think it’s reasonable, from a legal standpoint, I believe it’s completely enforceable,” Bagala said.
The county documented 501 new coronavirus cases during the 14-day period ending Friday. The county’s total number of known cases during the pandemic was 13,621 on Friday.
Of the Marin County residents eligible for vaccination — those 12 and older — 196,513, or about 88%, are fully vaccinated. The county reported that 212,561 people, or about 95% of the eligible population, have had one vaccine dose.