Clark College said Tuesday that it will not require COVID-19 vaccinations this fall.
The announcement from the Vancouver-based college follows many other community colleges in the region that have made the same call, such as Portland Community College.
Clark announced it will be requiring everyone on campus to continue wearing face coverings for the time being.
The college said it plans to gradually phase in on-campus operations, with some employees, events and services returning this fall. Earlier this year, Clark announced that about one-third of its fall term classes would have some on-campus component.
“Our students and our employees need to know the college’s way forward in order to plan for the future,” Karin Edwards, Clark’s president, said in a statement. “At the same time, we need to remain ready to adapt to the ever-evolving realities of this pandemic and its effects. We will continue to carefully monitor the situation and provide information about fall term as we further develop our plans — always with a focus on equity, access, and the safety of our whole community.”
According to the latest numbers from Clark County public health officials, the COVID-19 case rates per 100,000 residents have steadily declined since the beginning of June.
