TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Salvador Llamas, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Rescission of Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate
ACTION ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ?
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider rescinding the District's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Staff Contact:
James Arcellana, Interim Executive Director of Human Resources
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Safe and Secure Operations
Initiative - Employee Recruitment, Training and Retention
Ending the COVID-19 vaccine mandate will help ensure efficiency of both operations and hiring within the District.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
Rescinding the vaccine mandate may reduce costs associated with administrative time required to implement and monitor compliance with the mandate.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
On December 8, 2021, the AC Transit Board of Directors received a report on the District's vaccination rates along with information on general public vaccination rates and vaccination initiatives. The report also detailed options the Board could consider to increase vaccination rates among District employees. At that time, staff recommended that the Board adopt a vaccine mandate. After receiving the report, the Board approved the implementation of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all employees with no testing alternative; a process was also set up for employees to request an exemption.
Evolving Context and Regional Practices
The Board approved the vaccine mandate during the height of the pandemic. On May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization declared an end to the global Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19. On May 11, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the end of the PHE for the United States. Since the implementation of the vaccine mandate, there has been a decline in both the severity and spread of the COVID-19 virus, as well as an increase in the number of vaccinated people. To date, 94.8% of all District employees have provided pr...
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