Pasadena Unified to require COVID vaccine proof or weekly tests

PUSD to require weekly COVID-19 tests for students under age 12; proof of COVID-19 vaccine for students 12 and older or weekly tests

At its regular meeting on Thursday, the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) Board of Education voted unanimously to:

• Ratify an existing testing plan that places mobile testing teams at schools for students and employee testing and now requires
  • all students under age 12 to get weekly COVID-19 tests with informed consent from parents/guardians
  • all student-athletes to get weekly COVID-19 tests with informed consent from parents/guardians
• Take additional new actions and require that students age 12 and older show proof of vaccination or take weekly tests with informed consent from parents/guardians
• Grant emergency authority through Dec. 31, 2021, to Superintendent Brian McDonald, and/or his designee to take any and all actions as allowed by state law necessary to ensure the continuity of learning and ensure the health and safety of students and employees.

PUSD is implementing the State Public Health Officer Order of Aug. 11, 2021 and requiring all employees to present proof of vaccination or take weekly tests.

“I am gratified that the Board voted to support the recommendations of staff to improve our measures that mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 virus on our students, staff, school communities, families and community members,” said Board of Education President Scott Phelps. “As the L.A. County public health director said, ‘The most important focus should be on vaccinations for the 12-and-up group of young people, whose vaccination rates are much lower than that of older people.’ I think the Board’s action directly aligns with this.”

“Responding to new developments related to COVID-19 Delta variant has proven to be more challenging than ever before,” said McDonald. “However, we have shown that we have been able to meet these challenges based on our strong safety protocols that kept our students and staff safe this past spring when some of our students returned to in-person learning. The Board’s actions position our district to further bolster safety measures that protect students and employees.”

For information about PUSD’s safety plan, vaccines, and more, visit www.gopusd.com/covid.

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