Latest Health Orders, Booster Shots, and other COVID-19 Updates

Below is a summary of the virtual Town Hall that took place on Monday, October 4. You can watch the full video by clicking the image below.

Case, Hospitalization, and Vaccine Updates

As of Sunday, October 3, there have been 4,910 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Berkeley and 55 deaths. The unadjusted case rate is currently 7.31 new cases per day per 100,000 people (this statistic is based on last week’s seven day average as cases reported can fluctuate in the most recent days), a decrease from 13.55 during the last town hall on August 2nd. You can read the latest numbers on our COVID-19 dashboard.

There are 114 people currently hospitalized in Alameda County, 39 of which are in ICUs. This is a decrease of 65 hospitalizations and 10 people in ICUs since August 1st. All Berkeley residents who have succumbed to COVID-19 were unvaccinated.


On Monday, the City reported an updated number to 93% of Berkeley residents 12 and older being fully vaccinated. The spike in this statistic is a result of the merging of data from UC Berkeley. Previously, students living in Berkeley, but who had been vaccinated while out of town, were not included in Berkeley’s numbers. Both the UC and CSU systems require all students, staff, and faculty to be vaccinated as a requirement for being on campus. If you or someone you know has not yet gotten vaccinated, you can find a vaccine site here.



Health Orders and Related Updates


As of September 10th, proof of vaccination is required in the following establishments in Berkeley:

  • Places serving food or drinks, such as restaurants, bars, clubs, theaters, and entertainment venues.

  • Places where patrons do cardiovascular, aerobic, strength training, or other exercise involving elevated breathing, including gyms, recreation centers, fitness clubs, and strength training facilities.

  • Large indoor events of 1,000 people or more


Additionally, all City employees must submit proof of vaccination by October 15, and be fully vaccinated by November 15th.


Last week, Governor Newsom announced a policy adding COVID-19 to the list of vaccines for transmissible diseases required for K-12 students. This will be done in two phases, with grades 7-12 expected to go into effect in July 2022, and K-6 at a later date, pending full approval of vaccination for these age groups. Currently, the Pfizer vaccine is only available to people aged 12 and older, with emergency authorization for ages 5-11 expected later this year.



Who is Eligible for a Booster Shot?

Federal and state guidelines recommend a "Pfizer booster" dose for adults who received their second Pfizer dose at least six months ago and are in specific categories:


Federal and state guidelines also suggest this "Pfizer booster" as an option for two more specific groups if they received their second Pfizer dose at least six months earlier:


Talk to your healthcare provider regarding booster eligibility. The City encourages residents to get their booster from their primary healthcare provider whenever possible.

Other Updates

  • No cases of transmission within a classroom setting have been reported across Berkeley’s public and private schools. For additional details on cases in the BUSD community, visit their dashboard.

  • There are currently no plans to change the mask mandate. Such a decision takes into consideration a complex variety of factors, including COVID-19 case rates, case rates of other respiratory diseases, hospitalizations, and vaccination rates. Any update to the mask mandate will likely be a collective decision by the region’s Health Officers.

  • As part of our continued efforts to provide assistance to the unhoused during the pandemic, we have just launched a new Safe RV Parking Program. This is located next to the Horizon Village, which opened this summer. Since the passage of Measure P in 2018, we have successfully housed 485 formerly unhoused individuals.

  • People who are travelling internationally should check their airline and country of destination to review rules and regulations for flying. Additional details about international travel can be found on the CDC website.

Jesse Arreguin