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Montgomery County Public School Board passes vaccine mandate for all employees

The resolution removes the option for weekly COVID testing for unvaccinated employees.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — The Montgomery County Public School Board (MCPS) passed a resolution Thursday evening requiring all school employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

According to a spokesperson from MCPS, proof of the first vaccine is required by September 30 and proof of the second is required by October 29. 

MCPS says documented medical exemptions will be accepted. 

Previously, unvaccinated employees would have to submit to weekly COVID testing. The unanimous vote also removed the option to instead be tested. 

As of August 13, MCPS has put several other safety measures in place: 

  • Encourage the use of outdoor spaces for unmasked educational, recreational and social experiences for our students
  • Facilitate continuity of educational services for students who are unable to attend in-person instruction due to the need to quarantine
  • Provide opportunities for individuals to engage in proactive preventative measures, such as frequent hand-washing
  • Remind students and staff that they must stay home when experiencing any possible symptoms of COVID-19
  • Ensure school facilities will be regularly sanitized, equipped with cleaning supplies, and ventilation and air quality monitored
  • Provide in-school COVID-19 pool testing for random samples of students in prekindergarten through 6th grade, since students younger than 12 are not eligible to receive the vaccine
  • Communicate clearly, concisely and in a timely manner with families and staff as information becomes available
  • Respond to changing conditions so that our students will not experience major disruptions in their education

RELATED: Maryland Nurses Association supports new vaccine mandates for federal workers and large employers

RELATED: Schools adapting to Delta variant and updating testing, quarantine policies

WATCH NEXT: Entire 6th grade at one DC middle school in quarantine after COVID exposure

According to DC Public Schools, the entire sixth-grade class of Johnson Middle School are home on quarantine after being exposed to coronavirus. DCPS said all 129 students have returned to virtual learning for the duration of their quarantine. 

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