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WHEREAS, California has made significant progress in fighting the spread of COVID <br />19, and case rates have decreased in recent months; and <br />WHEREAS, as a result of decreasing case rates and increasing vaccination rates, the <br />State and Alameda County have lifted many restrictions regarding activities and business <br />operations, and the Governor has terminated the Blueprint for a Safer Economy; and <br />WHEREAS, COVID-19 vaccinations are now widely available to any adult in Alameda <br />County. Over 80% of Alameda County residents 12 years of age or older have received at least <br />one dose, and over 67% are fully vaccinated; and <br />WHEREAS, the City Council desires to amend the ordinances requiring the payment of <br />hazard pay to grocery workers to reflect the fact that vaccines are now widely available and that <br />the Blueprint for a Safer Economy is no longer relevant; and <br />WHEREAS, while it is generally understood that vaccination is the best means to protect <br />against COVID-19 and its variants, COVID-19 is still present in the community presenting a <br />clear and present danger to public health, safety, and welfare. The City Council takes notice that <br />the State of California is still in a state of emergency, and San Leandro is still in a local <br />emergency without, at this time, a foreseeable end. As such, the City Council urges all covered <br />employees to get vaccinated as quickly as possible to help the City, Alameda County, and the <br />State lower rates of transmission of COVID-19 and any of its variants. <br />NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of San Leandro ORDAINS as follows: <br />SEC.1 RECITALS. <br />The City Council finds the foregoing recitals to be true and correct and hereby <br />incorporates those recitals into this Ordinance. <br />SEC. 2 TITLE AND PURPOSE. <br />The retail food workers of San Leandro have continued to report to work and to serve <br />their communities in the face of an unprecedented global pandemic. Under the Retail Food <br />Worker Hazard Pay Ordinance adopted as an urgency ordinance on February 16, 2021 (the <br />"Urgency Hazard Pay Ordinance") and the Retail Food Worker Hazard Pay Ordinance adopted <br />as a regular ordinance on March 1, 2021 (the "Regular Hazard Pay Ordinance"), these workers <br />have been entitled to hazard pay to justly compensate retail food workers for the clear and <br />present dangers of doing their jobs as essential workers during the pandemic. <br />The City has an interest in ensuring the welfare of its workers and the continued <br />operation of its food supply chain. The City also has an interest in encouraging workers to get <br />vaccinations to protect against COVID-19, and to encourage businesses to make vaccines <br />available to their employees. As vaccines are now readily available, the specific provisions in <br />the Hazard Pay Urgency Ordinance and the Regular Hazard Pay Ordinance that tied the duration <br />of those ordinances to vaccinations are no longer necessary. Additionally, because the Governor <br />ORDINANCE NO. 2021-008 3 <br />