Coronavirus Update
August 16, 2021
The following email from LTCC Superintendent/President Jeff DeFranco was shared with staff and faculty on Monday, August 16. Please keep an eye out for further communications about how to best share your proof of vaccination record, and when weekly testing will be available on campus.
Colleagues,
I’m writing to inform you of an important update regarding LTCC campus COVID vaccine and testing protocols. This email will outline the steps LTCC will take to support public health while also providing options to staff and faculty.
Right now, California is experiencing the fastest increase in COVID cases since this pandemic started. The Delta variant is living up to its reputation as a particularly aggressive virus that spreads more easily than the original strain.
State and public institutions, including schools, are responding to these alarming circumstances. The University of California system announced required vaccinations for staff and students in July, with exemptions and weekly testing options for those who can’t or don’t want to vaccinate. The California State University system followed suit. As of this week, at least 20 California Community College districts have also announced procedures, requiring some level of vaccination or testing requirement. Based on conversations with peers throughout the state, I expect many more California community colleges to take similar action.
Governor Gavin Newsom had already required state employees to show proof of vaccination or submit to weekly testing. Last week, he expanded that to include all K-12 teachers and school staff.
As you can see, public agencies and educational institutions in our state and elsewhere are responding to support public health. Today, I am sharing that LTCC is joining this crucial effort.
LTCC will follow the governor’s lead and require that all employees who work on campus, regardless of employee type, provide LTCC with proof of vaccination. Those who elect not to vaccinate will be required to undergo weekly COVID testing and adhere to quarantine guidelines as appropriate. We are working on a mobile testing provider to offer testing on campus and during regular work hours. This new proof-of-vaccination requirement or weekly testing requirement will go into effect Tuesday, September 7, 2021. This recommendation is being made after thorough research of approaches at community colleges statewide and after consultation with the Risk Management Team and Board leadership.
Evidence about vaccine efficacy is overwhelming – the vaccines work against COVID, including the Delta variant, and they save lives. People who are being hospitalized and dying from COVID at this time are primarily unvaccinated. Vaccines coupled with consistent mask wearing is the best approach to COVID protection. According to research by the Kaiser Family Foundation, less than 1% of fully vaccinated people experience a breakthrough COVID-19 infection. I strongly encourage you to get vaccinated right away, if you aren’t already. It will keep you, your family and loved ones, and your co-workers safer.
You do have a choice. Weekly testing is an option, coupled with strict adherence to LTCC’s quarantine and mask-wearing guidelines (see above).
You can get information about how to receive a digital copy of your vaccination record atwww.ltcc.edu/coronavirus. Digital vaccine record retrieval is available through the state athttps://myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov/. If you attended Safeway’s vaccine clinics on March 4 and April 1 at our University Center, you may also be able to access your digital vaccination record by calling 1-844-590-0015 or by visiting www.safeway.com/MyVaccineRecord. Please keep in mind the influx of vaccine records being entered; you may not yet be recorded in the various systems.
LTCC will be participating in the California Immunization Registry (CAIR) to help track vaccination status. Digital records will not be the only way vaccine records can be submitted; employees may also submit to Interim Risk Manager, Maryellen Sanchez, a copy or scan of the vaccine card issued at the time of vaccination, which will be kept in a confidential file.
We will send out future email communications to help you understand how LTCC will be tracking proof of vaccination. We’ll also provide an update when weekly testing on campus is established.
To find out where to get free vaccines, visit California’s My Turn website at https://myturn.ca.gov/. You can also call the CDC’s vaccine finder line at 1-800-232-0233 (multiple language options available) or visit the CDC’s vaccine finder website athttps://www.vaccines.gov/.
Stay safe, get vaccinated, and wear quality masks in public settings regardless of your vaccination status. If we all practice community mindedness and compassion for others, we can help protect one another and our community and have a stronger chance of beating this virus.
Thank you,
Jeff DeFranco
Tuesday, August 24: Local COVID testing has moved from the South Tahoe Airport to the Lakeview Commons/El Dorado Beach boat trailer parking lot. Hours are Monday through Friday, 7am-3pm. Available to any CA or NV resident. Make an appointment here. Due to current air quality conditions, this test site will be closed through Wednesday, August 25 - please check back for updates on when testing will resume. Visit LTCC's Coronavirus Information page for the latest.