Marin Mandates Vaccines Or Tests For First Responders

MARIN COUNTY, CA – Marin issued a new health order Friday requiring first responders to verify that they are fully vaccinated or be subject to weekly testing, county officials said.

The delta-fueled COVID-19 case surge across the region triggered the new Marin County Public Health order, county officials said.

The order applies to law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical (EMS) personnel and related staff who work in or may respond to emergency calls at high-risk settings such as hospitals, jails, nursing and congregate care facilities.

The new order goes into effect Sept. 15.

"We’ve seen that outbreaks in high risk settings, when they occur, are often sparked by infected staff or visitors who unknowingly bring the virus into the facility,” Marin Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis said in a statement.

Because unvaccinated people are more likely to be infected and are required to be quarantined when they are exposed, workplace outbreaks can lead to serious staffing shortages in critical services.

Marin County is seeing increased cases and hospitalizations, with over 90 percent of current cases being infected with the Delta variant. There are currently 18 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Marin County, which is the highest number since March of 2021.

More than 90 percent of the county's hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the past two months have been unvaccinated.

On July 26, the California Department of Public Health issued an order requiring employers of high-risk healthcare and medical facilities to verify the vaccine status of all workers and requires that unvaccinated workers undergo routine COVID-19 testing.

But this order did not include Emergency Medical Services, law enforcement, or fire workers despite their critical role in public health and safety.

The local order will help bridge that gap.

“This measure protects the first responder workforce and the vulnerable residents they serve,” Marin County Emergency Medical Services Administrator Chris Le Baudour said in a statement.

“We don’t want ambulance, fire or law enforcement crews off-line because of preventable outbreaks.”

The new order requires applicable first responder workers to either test weekly for COVID-19 and promptly provide the results to their employers, or provide proof that they are fully vaccinated.

In addition to the verify vaccination or test requirement for first responders, the today’s health order will require that all public sector employers to verify vaccination status of all employees, but routine testing of unvaccinated public sector employees is not required.

To find a vaccination site near you in Marin visit here or check the CDC's vaccination site locator.