Loudoun School Employees Must Get Vaccinated Or Submit To Testing

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Loudoun County Public Schools will require employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by Nov. 1 or submit to weekly testing, the county school system announced Friday.

Leading up to the deadline, fully vaccinated staff and those who have received their first dose of the vaccine must provide proof of vaccination by Oct. 1.

After Oct. 1, employees who have not provided documentation of full vaccination or partial vaccination status will be required to begin weekly COVID-19 testing and submit results to LCPS.

“Ensuring our staff has taken every precaution to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 is an important step to help keep students in the classrooms as much as possible,” LCPS Superintendent Scott Ziegler said in a statement.

“We realize that our desire for in-person learning is currently being challenged by rising community risk in Loudoun County and the potential impact of the Delta variant on students and our community, and we will continue to monitor developing conditions and data,” Ziegler added.

Masks are currently required for all students and staff members at Loudoun County schools. The mask mandate applies to everyone in a school, regardless of their vaccination status.

Neighboring Fairfax County Public Schools announced earlier this month that it will require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo regular testing by late October.

On Monday, Fairfax County Public Schools announced it will require high school student athletes to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The requirement begins Nov. 8 for students participating in Virginia High School League winter and spring sports. The vaccine will also be required for other activities that require a physical, including dance team and step team.