Posts Tagged: coronavirus

COVID-19 update

We hope you had a happy and healthy Labor Day weekend.

While the COVID-19 pandemic officially ended months ago, the virus is and will continue to be present in our communities. Family members, friends, colleagues and clientele are still becoming ill from the virus, so we can all be potentially exposed and get sick as we go about our personal and work lives. Over the past month, the number of COVID-19 cases has been gradually increasing in most parts of the state. The California Department of Public Health's COVID-19 dashboard summarizes the current status: https://covid19.ca.gov/state-dashboard/

With the above conditions in mind, I wanted to take a moment to remind us all of the COVID-19 practices that we all need to continue to follow in the workplace.

• The most important thing you can remember to do is STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK. Employees are advised to stay home if they have symptoms of any infectious illness or are feeling sick. As always, contact your supervisor if you need to take sick leave or work from home.
• If you do test positive for COVID-19, you need to report that positive test result, so we can advise on when you can return to work and assess the potential that other employees or clientele that you work with may have been exposed.
• The best way to report symptoms or positive test results is the symptom screening report survey (http://ucanr.edu/symptomscreening).
• Employees who test positive will need to stay away from the workplace and isolate at home for at least 5 days. See the Quarantine, Isolation, and Return to Work chart.
• Our COVID-19 response team reaches out to each person who tests positive for COVID-19 and provides specific instructions. In some cases, we notify other employees at a worksite that they may have been exposed, while protecting the privacy of the individual who tested positive.
• If you have general questions about COVID-19 or UC ANR's procedures, please check the website http://ucanr.edu/covid19 or email ehs@ucanr.edu.

While public health orders and other emergency measures have ended, some basic workplace safety rules to prevent disease transmission remain in effect.

Masks and testing are not mandatory in most cases, but we still must make masks available and provide access to testing if there are workplace exposures. We will continue to share resources for local testing or provide self-administered tests to locations to distribute as needed - please contact your location's Safety Coordinator if you need a test. Investigation of positive COVID-19 cases is required to determine if additional exposures may have occurred at work. All employees must receive COVID-19 prevention training. The COVID-19 prevention plans that were developed for each ANR location must be maintained. Employees are encouraged to maintain recommended booster vaccinations or opt out.

These workplace safety procedures can be expected to continue to prevent outbreaks of COVID-19 or other infectious diseases in ANR workplaces statewide. Thank you for continuing to monitor your health and to take routine measures to keep yourself and your colleagues healthy and safe.

Brian Oatman 
Director, Risk & Safety

COVID-19 update – End of state of emergency

You might have heard that the Governor is ending the COVID-19 state of emergency on Feb. 28. This signals a new phase of response to the pandemic and ends most of the statewide public health orders and restrictions that have been in place and evolved over the past three years. Going forward, UC's efforts related to prevention of COVID-19 or other disease outbreaks will focus on public health education, preparedness and outreach.

For UC ANR workplaces and programming, this will not result in noticeable change from how we have been operating for the past several months. Here is what you need to know:

• Most importantly, employees are still advised to stay home if they have symptoms of any infectious illness or are feeling sick.
• If you do test positive for COVID-19, we still need you to report that positive test, so we can evaluate the conditions, advise on when you can return to work, and determine if other employees or the clientele that we work with may have been exposed.
• The best way to report symptoms or positive test results is by using the symptom screening report survey (http://ucanr.edu/symptomscreening).

While public health orders and other emergency measures are ending, workplace safety rules to prevent disease transmission remain in effect. Masks and testing are not required in most cases, but we still must make masks available and provide access to testing if there are workplace exposures. Investigation of positive COVID-19 cases is required to determine if additional exposures may have occurred at work. Employees must receive COVID-19 prevention training. The COVID-19 prevention plans that were developed for each ANR location must be maintained. The UC vaccination programs policy remains in effect, meaning that employees are required to have an initial series of COVID-19 vaccination, or receive an exemption. Employees are also urged to maintain recommended booster vaccinations, or opt out.

This has been a long journey over the past three years to keep ourselves, our families and our co-workers as safe as possible. Thank you for your efforts and understanding over this time and let's look forward to a new chapter ahead. 

Brian Oatman 
Director, Risk & Safety Services

COVID-19: Vaccination Program Policy comment period extended

On Aug. 30, 2022, the Policy on Vaccination Programs – With Interim Amendments was issued, with an effective date of Sept. 1, 2022. On Sept. 16, 2022, the University of California Office of the President distributed a draft policy for Systemwide Review with a comment deadline of Dec. 15, 2022. Based on feedback received from the Systemwide Review thus far and discussions with leadership, updated interim amendments were made to the policy to include an option for members of the University community to opt out of COVID-19 boosters as well as technical edits. On Dec. 12, 2022, the Policy on Vaccination Programs – With Updated Interim Amendments was issued.

In light of these updated interim amendments, the Office of the President is distributing an updated draft policy and extending the comment deadline for the formal Systemwide Review and consultation process from Dec. 15, 2022, to Jan. 31, 2023, to finalize this Presidential Policy.

Key revisions from the updated interim amendments include the following:

• The Primary Series of the COVID-19 vaccination will remain mandatory for all incoming faculty, staff, students, and trainees who are Covered Individuals subject only to religious, medical, and disability exceptions and temporary deferral due to pregnancy or recent COVID-19 diagnosis or treatment. (Health care workers will continue to be eligible for fewer exceptions due to a California Department of Public Health order.)
• Covered Individuals must be up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccination boosters. However, those who prefer to opt out of COVID-19 boosters will be permitted to do so by signing a declination statement after receiving education and subject to non-pharmaceutical interventions specified by their locations (for example, masking).  Please note that health care workers may not decline their first booster under a California Department of Public Health order unless they are eligible for one of the order's limited exceptions or deferrals.
• If a Covered Individual prefers to defer the COVID-19 bivalent booster for more than 90 days after being diagnosed with or treated for COVID-19, they can do so by declining the booster after receiving education. When they do receive the booster, they will again be considered Up-to-Date.
• Locations will ordinarily set an annual compliance deadline between July and December for existing faculty, staff and students to participate in the COVID-19 vaccine program. This year Locations may set that deadline as late as Feb. 1, 2023.

The version of the policy distributed on Sept. 16, 2022, renamed the policy “Policy on Vaccination Programs” and consolidated the University's existing systemwide vaccination requirements other than the Student Immunization Policy into a single document. Key revisions that were distributed for Systemwide Review at that time include the following:

• The COVID-19 Vaccination Program Attachment incorporates language from the July 15, 2021, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program policy with a focus on reorganization and simplification of existing policy language. Those updates were not intended to institute substantive changes in policy regarding existing COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
• In alignment with CDC guidance, the deadlines for completion of the primary COVID-19 vaccination series have been extended to allow for a longer interval period between doses.
• Locations are encouraged to evaluate COVID-19 Vaccination Program Participation, but Healthcare Locations are not required to do so.
• The COVID-19 Vaccination Program corrective action/discipline language for policy-covered academic appointees has been clarified.
• The Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program Attachment incorporates language from the President's past flu vaccine Executive Orders. The Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Program is an Opt-Out program, which means Covered Individuals may decline vaccination after receiving vaccine education. The program has an annual compliance date of no later than Dec. 1. Locations may choose an earlier compliance date. The first compliance date for new employees depends on when their first date of employment is in relation to the flu season. 
• The language has been updated throughout consistent with current public health usage.

The draft policy is posted on UCNet, and can also be accessed at https://ucanr.edu/sites/PCPA/Revisions/. 

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than Jan. 25, 2023. Please indicate “Vaccination Programs Policy” in the subject line.

 

 

COVID-19 testing requested after winter break, self-tests provided

To help avoid an increase of COVID-19 cases at work after the winter holiday, we are providing every UC ANR employee with a COVID-19 antigen test kit (2 tests) to take home with them to use after the break.

Test kits are being shipped to every ANR location during the week of December 12-16. Please see your safety coordinator or office manager to receive the tests and take them home with you before the winter holiday. After the Winter Holiday break, on the morning before you return to work onsite, please check yourself for symptoms and use a self-test. Follow the instructions in the test kit, or view this video for test instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fqy-xjkxsU.

Everyone should use the UC ANR COVID-19 Screening Report survey to report the results of your test before coming into work. Please report your results on the survey even if you have no symptoms and/or test negative. If you have any symptoms or test positive, stay home, and let your supervisor know that you will not be coming to work. Viruses like COVID-19 can take 3 to 5 days to incubate, so you can use the second test a few days after the first test to verify a negative result.

Many areas in the state are currently experiencing an increase in viral illnesses, including COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). These illnesses are spread through respiratory droplets from an infected person. This means that when we are close to other people for extended periods of time – at holiday parties, during travel, visiting with family and friends – we might be exposed and could develop symptoms or illness a few days later.

If you have any questions about the testing or COVID-19 precautions, please email ehs@ucanr.edu. 

Have a safe and merry winter break! 

Brian Oatman
Director, Risk & Safety Services

 

COVID-19: Testing recommended after Thanksgiving holiday, self-test being provided

While the COVID-19 pandemic has moved to a new phase, the virus is still with us. The rate of cases in our community and among UC ANR employees has declined over the past few months, but transmission of the virus is still occurring in our communities. COVID-19 is spread through respiratory droplets from an infected person. Current evidence indicates that the current strain of COVID-19 is highly infectious, and that a person may be infected and capable of spreading the disease for a day or two before they experience any symptoms. This means that when we are close to other people for extended periods of time, we might be exposed without knowing it. We can also carry the virus before we feel any symptoms.

Looking back at reported cases among employees, we have observed that there have been increases in the number of COVID-19 cases after holidays, when many people were gathering with groups of friends and family. We also find that many who test positive for COVID-19 have recently traveled and likely contracted the virus due to exposure during their travels. Over the Thanksgiving holiday (November 24 and 25), many of us may be enjoying gatherings with friends and family and/or traveling. To help avoid an increase of COVID-19 cases at the office after the holiday, it is appropriate to take an extra precaution. With that in mind, we will be providing every UC ANR employee with a COVID-19 antigen test kit to take home with them to use after the holiday. 

Test kits are being shipped to every ANR location during the week of November 14-18. Please see your Safety Coordinator or office manager to receive a test and take the test home with you before the holiday. After Thanksgiving, on the morning before you return to the office, please check yourself for symptoms and use the self-test. Follow the instructions in the test kit, or view this video for test instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fqy-xjkxsU. Use the UC ANR COVID-19 Screening Report survey to report the results of your test before coming into work. If you have any symptoms or test positive, please stay home, and let your supervisor know that you will not be coming to work.

If you have any questions about the testing or COVID-19 precautions, please email ehs@ucanr.edu.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Brian Oatman 
Risk & Safety Services Director

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