Univeristy of California will be requiring students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated

SAN FRANCISCO >> The University of California is reversing course and will require all students, staff and faculty to be vaccinated against the coronavirus this fall.

UC President Michael Drake “does plan to move forward with the vaccine mandate,” Regent Eloy Oritz Oakley told the San Francisco Chronicle on Monday.

The decision is an aboutface from a proposed policy announced in April requiring vaccinations only after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fully approved at least one of the three vaccines now being administered under emergency authorization. It’s not clear when the FDA will give full approval.

Oakley said the regents have not been briefed on the new decision but that more information is expected at their two-day meeting that starts July 21.

UC has more than 280,000 students and 227,000 faculty and staff, and expects to return to mostly in-person instruction at its 10 campuses starting in August.

UC has already said it would exempt students from the vaccination requirement if they have medical or religious reasons.

California State University officials said Monday they were still planning to wait for full FDA approval before mandating COVID vaccinations — but that could change.

“We will continue to evaluate the situation as we get closer to the fall term,” CSU spokesperson Michael Uhlenkamp told the Chronicle.

TOKYO >> If athletes coming to Japan for the Tokyo Olympics needed a warning, they got it Tuesday as officials rolled out the third and final rendition of so-called Playbooks — the rulebooks governing behavior for these pandemic-tainted games.

The message: Follow the rules when the Olympics open in just over five weeks, or else expect a warning or a fine — or anything in between.

“Respect the Playbook, respect the rules,” said Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi, speaking on a remote hook-up with Tokyo organizers.

The Playbooks rolled out Tuesday were for athletes. But updates for others like media, broadcasters, sponsors, and so forth will come within the next few days, and all the Playbook rules are quite similar.

Officials say 15,400 athletes are expected for the Olympics and Paralympics. The Olympics open on July 23 followed by the Paralympic on Aug. 24.

Including athletes, the total number expected for both events, factoring in media, broadcasters, Olympic Family, sponsors and others is about about 93,000.

All those entering Japan for the Olympics will be required to follow complex testing rules — before leaving home and after arriving.

They must also agree to have their location monitored by GPS, download several apps, sign a pledge to follow

the rules, maintain social distancing, stay off public transportation for the first 14 days and keep organizers informed of your whereabouts.

“We expect everybody to follow the rules. But we also have to be aware there could be infractions,” said Olympic Games Operations Director Pierre Ducrey, also speaking remotely.

“Yes, we expect you to play by the rules, but if you don’t there will be sanctions that could be coming your way.”

Ducrey said the range of punishments could go from a warning, to temporary or permanent expulsion from the Olympics, to withdrawal of accreditation or a fine. Officials also suggested the Japanese government has the power of deportation, and individual sports federations and national Olympic committees may have their own penalties.

Dubi declined to offer specifics about possible financial penalties. He said that would be determined by a disciplinary commission. But he said rules would apply “before, during and after” athletes compete.

Athletes are also being required to sign waivers, typical of the Olympics. This time an added clause relieves the IOC of responsibly from any fallout from COVID-19.