COVID: San Jose Leaders Advance Booster Mandate For Indoor Events At City-Owned Facilities - 'There's No Benefit In Waiting'
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) – A proposal for a vaccine booster mandate for indoor events at city-owned facilities in San Jose cleared another hurdle, passing unanimously in a City Council Rules Committee meeting on Wednesday.
If approved, San Jose would be one of the largest government agencies to have such a requirement. Neither the Centers for Disease Control, or the State of California have a widespread booster mandate.
Mayor Sam Liccardo first introduced the proposal late last year.
"There's no benefit in waiting. We see what's happening throughout the country. We know we have a trajectory ourselves here in the Bay Area of a rapidly increasing case counts. We need to do everything we can to keep people safe. And that means, let's use our common sense," said Liccardo.
The mandate would require visitors attending large, indoor gatherings of 50 people or more at the following city-owned facilities to show proof of a third shot:
- City Hall
- City-owned libraries
- City-owned community centers
- SAP Center at San Jose
- Solar 4 America Ice at San Jose
- San Jose McEnery Convention Center
- California Theatre
- San Jose Civic
- Montgomery Theater
- Center for the Performing Arts
- Fourth Street Summit Center
- School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza
- San Jose History Park
- San Jose Museum of Art
- Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose
- The Tech Interactive
The proposal also clarifies where the mandate would apply:
- Hockey games
- Concerts
- Conventions
- IMAX movies
Meanwhile, the mandate would not apply to these situations:
- Library daily operations, including story time
- Senior Nutrition programs
- City Council meetings and hearings
- Daily operations of, and attendance at, museums
- Food service and café's, unless the café is holding an event of over 50 such as a wedding reception
Wednesday's committee vote comes as Santa Clara County posted yet another day of sky-high case counts, with the seven-day rolling average at 1,626. The record high for the seven-day rolling average is 2,251, set back in January 2021.
"The reality is, this is something that folks need to prepare to do anyway. If it's not going to be a mandate now, today from the state, it will be the next month or two. Let's get in front of it. Let's all do what we need to do to prepare," said Liccardo.
With a maximum capacity of 18,300, the booster mandate would impact operations SAP center the most.
The San Jose Sharks had no comment Wednesday.
Liccardo's booster mandate proposal goes for a vote before the full council on January 25.