WASHINGTON — All adults who regularly work closely with children in D.C. schools and childcare facilities must be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1., Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Monday morning. There will be no test-out option for this new requirement, Bowser said.
TOP STORY: DC government employees, DCPS teachers must be fully vaccinated by September 19, Bowser says
This means adults who work for D.C. Public Schools, D.C. Public Charter schools, D.C. private schools, parochial schools and child care facilities regulated by OSSE must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Here's the list of professions in D.C. that must meet the above requirement:
- Teachers, student teachers, teaching aides, substitute teachers, and teaching fellows
- Before- and after-school teachers, program leaders, and assistants
- Guidance counselors
- Principals and other school leaders, program coordinators and administrators
- Coaches, trainers, athletic directors, referees, meet or game officials, and school-based media specialists filming games and training sessions
- Librarians and school library-based personnel
- Technology support personnel who work in schools
- Social workers
- School bus drivers
- School security personnel
- Aides for children with special needs in schools
- Cafeteria, janitorial, and building maintenance staff
- Volunteers who are regularly at schools
Also, after Nov. 1, students who are 12 or older must be fully vaccinated to participate in school-based sports. Student-athletes who will turn 12 years old between Sept. 20, 2021, and Nov. 1, 2021, must be fully vaccinated before Dec. 13, 2021, to be able to practice or compete in school-based sports, according to D.C. officials.
This news comes as D.C. officials work to implement and ramp up its COVID-19 requirements across the region. D.C Government employees had until Sept. 19 to report their vaccination status, and all healthcare workers in D.C. have been required to be vaccinated by Sept. 30.
According to DC Health, 65% of the eligible population in the District has been vaccinated, including 72% of DC Government employees.