Dear Peralta Community,

This message is an update regarding the Peralta Community College District COVID masking and vaccination policies.

As many of you know, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared the end of the COVID-19 emergency in the state of California effective February 28, 2023. USA President Joseph Biden declared the end of the federal government's COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023.

Masking

Per our policy to follow Alameda County Public Health Department guidelines, and based on discussions with union leaders, it is agreed that with immediate effect masks will become optional on Peralta Community College District (PCCD) property and will no longer be required. People may choose to mask at any time. Some caveats apply:

• Faculty members can require masks to be worn in their class provided that requirement is included in the course syllabus.
• An individual with a personal office can require others to wear a mask when in that person’s individual office space.

PCCD remains committed to protecting the health and safety of students and employees on our campuses. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as outlined in the PCCD COVID-19 Prevention Plan (CPP), we have been following the guidance of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD).

Alameda County requires masks to be worn indoors when the COVID-19 Community Level is medium or high but that is not the case currently in Alameda County, where the level is low and has been low now for many months. Per CDC and ACPHD guidelines, when the community level is low, masks are not required but people may choose to mask at any time.

People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should stay at home and not come onto campus.

Should circumstances change in Alameda County we will let you know but for now the Peralta Community College District remains fully in alignment with CDC, CDPH, and ACPHD recommendations by making masks optional on our campuses beginning July 2023.

Vaccination Policy

The PCCD Vaccination Policy remains unchanged, however, the District will no longer be committing resources to the enforcement of the policy. As of Monday, July 24, 2023, employees are no longer required to submit the daily COVID status questionnaire via PeopleSoft HCM. Students are no longer being instructed to provide their vaccination status via PeopleSoft Campus Solutions. The message indicating that student vaccination is required before entering campus property is being withdrawn from CANVAS, PeopleSoft, and Safe Peralta.

This update brings PCCD into alignment with the other Bay Area community college districts, none of which require student vaccinations or masking for campus access.

As always, for the latest information on COVID-19 at the Peralta Community College District, please visit the Safe Peralta website at https://safe.peralta.edu.

Thank you and be well,

Dr. Ronald McKinley
Interim Vice Chancellor of Human Resources and Employee Relations