New Public Health Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Workers
May 6, 2021
The California Department of Public Health has just released new guidance entitled “COVID-19 Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People” that has some implications for the workplace.
So what has changed? Moving forward, fully vaccinated workers are no longer required to quarantine after a known exposure at work, provided the exposed vaccinated worker remains asymptomatic. “Fully vaccinated” has been defined as two or more weeks after one receives the second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after one receives the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The new provisions, however, apply to non-healthcare workplaces only.
What remains the same? Even if fully vaccinated, workers who are part of a workplace outbreak must still undergo testing. Additionally, vaccinated workers must still wear face coverings and social distance according to the COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards issued last year. Thus, the recent easing of restrictions by the CDC and the CDPH with respect to being able to be near other fully vaccinated people indoors, without masks and without physical distancing, only applies to non-work settings such as private gatherings.
Could this new guidance be a small step towards regaining a sense of normalcy in the employment setting? Stay tuned for formal updates to the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards from Cal/OSHA coming soon. If you need assistance with COVID 19 legal compliance, contact McKague Rosasco LLP.
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