San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo is proposing a COVID-19 booster mandate for city employees, which would make the Capital of Silicon Valley the first city in California to have such a requirement, according to a release from the mayor's office.
In addition to the employee mandate, Liccardo's proposal will require residents or visitors that enter city-owned facilities to show proof of a booster shot or third dose of vaccine.
San Jose already requires proof of full vaccination to enter all city-owned facilities.
"To avoid crippling levels of hospitalizations and tragic outcomes, we have the great benefit of widespread access to booster shots, but we lack the benefit of time," Liccardo said in a statement. "We must take decisive action to protect our workforce and our community, and a booster mandate will help."
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The omicron variant is now the most dominant strain in the United States, accounting for more than 73% of new COVID-19 cases, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rates of infections and deaths among unvaccinated people are far greater than that of vaccinated people, CDC data shows.
Liccardo's proposal targets a January implementation of the booster requirement for city employees and for city-owned venues such as SAP Center and the Convention Center, according to the release.
The only exceptions in the proposed mandate would be those who received their second vaccine dose within the past 6 months and minors who aren't eligible for the booster.
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The proposal will be heard by the Rules Committee on Jan. 5.
