They lower risk of getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 and also prevent serious illness and death. Reset For booster-eligible workers who remain unboosted and did not submit an accommodation request by March 1, 2022, disciplinary process may commence on or after March 2, 2022. d. Testing records (when required) pursuant to section (4) must be maintained. The same process outlined above shall be followed. Fully-vaccinated workers are only required to test when they become eligible for a booster but remain unboosted. Covered workers must continue to comply with all required primary series and vaccine booster doses pursuant to Table A below. and based on concerning levels of transmission locally. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Early data also suggest the increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant is two to four times as infectious as the Delta variant, and there is evidence of immune evasion. New York on Friday became the latest state to delay its mandate for health care workers to receive Covid-19 vaccine boosters. Individuals are considered fully- vaccinated for COVID-19 two weeks or more after they have received the second dose in a two-dose series (e.g. Consistent with applicable privacy laws and regulations, an employer must maintain records of workers' vaccination or exemption status. Unvaccinated/partially vaccinated with a pending or approved accommodation. These workers shall be in compliance no later than 15 days after the expiration of their deferral, or they shall be subject to progressive discipline, up to and including adverse action. Reference: State Public Health Officer Order of September 28, 2021 . "Employer" refers to an organization that employs and directs the worker in providing services. MS 0500 8. EAST LANSING - Michigan State University is dropping a COVID-19 vaccine and booster mandate for students and staff a little more than a year after introducing the requirement at the height of . However, additional statewide facility-directed measures are necessary to protect particularly vulnerable populations, and ensure a sufficient, consistent supply of workers in high-risk health care settings. All workers who are eligible for the exceptions outlined in subdivisions (b), (c), and (e) of section (1) must only provide services to a single household. Novavax is not authorized for use as a booster dose at this time, A mix and match series composed of any combination of FDA-approved, FDA-authorized, or WHO-EUL COVID-19 vaccines, Booster dose at least2 months and no more than6 monthsafter getting all recommended doses, Order of the State Public Health Officer Health Care Worker Vaccine Requirement. Thanks to vaccinations and to measures taken since March 2020, California's health care system is currently able to address the increase in cases and hospitalizations. Cal State requires boosters. b. California must be vigilant to maintain situational awareness through surveillance and be ready to pause or reinstate a higher level of protective mitigation recommendations or requirements. HAs can look up workers vaccination status on the COVID-19 Staff Vaccine Registry. [i]Workers who provide proof of COVID-19 infection after completion of their primary series[ii]may defer booster administration for up to 90 days from date of first positive test or clinical diagnosis, which in some situations, may extend the booster dose requirement beyond March 1st. By February 1, 2022, health care workers and all employees in high-risk congregate settings, including nursing homes, will be required to get their booster. a. By the World Health Organization (WHO), are listed at the WHO COVID-19 Vaccines webpage. Unvaccinated persons are more likely to get infected and spread the virus, which is transmitted through the air. If not yet eligible for a vaccine booster, the returning worker shall obtain a booster dose no later than 15 calendar days after the recommended timeframe per Table A of the. Single booster dose of Moderna orPfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Dear PACE Partners : On September 28, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued new . If the HA determines that the religious accommodation recommended by OCR will create an undue hardship for the Department, the HA shall specifically identify the reasons why the requested accommodation(s) creates an undue hardship for the Department and cannot be granted. A mix and match series composed of any combination ofFDA-approved, FDA-authorized, or WHO-EUL COVID-19 vaccines. 1. Yes, workers who previously had COVID-19 need to get tested twice-weekly if they are subject to the CDPH Order and are unvaccinated, partially-vaccinated, or booster-eligible but unboosted. Additional statewide directed measures are necessary to protect particularly vulnerable populations, and ensure a sufficient, consistent supply of workers in high-risk care settings. The Delta variant is currently the most common variant causing new infections in California. The timing of required booster doses has been amended to reflect current CDC recommendations. Most current hospitalizations and deaths are among unvaccinated persons. Staff working at or visiting Headquarters, Regional, and Field Office locations shall follow current non-institutional masking guidelines. If upon the workers return to work, the worker is subjected to the CDPH Order: Yes. Thecurrent State Public Health Officer Orderis ineffect untilApril 2, 2023. , Related Materials:Health Care Worker Vaccine Requirement Q&A, State Public Health Officer Order of March 3, 2023. For the most current testing requirements for the incarcerated, refer to the COVID-19 Interim Guidance. Boosters have been available in California since September 2021. The HA shall initiate and submit an electronic CDCR Form 989, Confidential Request for Internal Affairs Investigation/Notice of Direct Adverse Action, to the Office of Internal Affairs (OIA) within the Case Management System 4.0, consistent with CCR, Title 15, Section 3392, Employee Discipline, DOM, Chapter 3, Article 14, Internal Affairs Investigations, and DOM, Article 22, Employee Discipline. Yes, the worker shall be exempt from progressive discipline pending the HAs determination on a request for accommodation. Assignments shall not be terminated due to non-compliance with the, All unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, or booster-eligible but unboosted registry providers, contractors, and volunteers shall wear the appropriate mask at all times based on current masking guidelines as posted on the Lifeline COVID-19 page, and test twice-weekly (with 48-72 hours between each test) until they are compliant with the. Covered facilities and employers should maintain capacity at their worksite or for their covered workers to continue to test as recommended during outbreaks, and in the event it is required again at a future date. For instance, impacted persons were unable to get boosted while ill. Further, there are critical staffing shortages in some areas and additional flexibility is needed due to the fact that boosting can cause missed time from work due to side effects related to receiving booster doses. 5. Between that time and the March 1st, 2022, deadline, booster rates for healthcare personnelincreased 47%. The one-dose vaccine is: Johnson and Johnson [J&J]/Janssen. Yes, workers who previously had COVID19 still need to get vaccinated and/or boosted if they are regularly assigned to work in the areas, institutions, posts and locations specified in the August 23, 2021 and January 28, 2022, memoranda, unless they have an approved religious or reasonable medical accommodation for the vaccine/booster. b. access to online resources providing up to date information on COVID-19 science and research. Reset [1]On January 25, 2022, this deadline for booster doses was updated from February 1, 2022, to March 1, 2022. COVID-19 vaccination and boosters continue to remain the most important strategy to prevent serious illness and death from COVID-19. At present, 63% of Californians 12 years of age and older are fully vaccinated with an additional 10% partially vaccinated. Skilled Nursing Facilities (including Subacute Facilities), vi. Covered facilities should maintain capacity at their worksite, to continue to test as recommended during outbreaks and in the event it is required again at a future date. Among 19,830 confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the pandemic, 47% were associated with the health care, congregate care, and direct care sector. 12. Note: During a COVID-19 outbreak, all workers may be subject to more frequent and regular intervals of COVID-19 testing regardless of vaccination status. Workers shall not be placed on ATO or involuntary dock. Adult Care Facilities and Direct Care Worker Vaccine Requirement. In the case of certified home health aides and affiliated home care aides, the home health agencies and home care organizations are the employer. "Employer-Recipient" refers to the person receiving services from IHSS workers, WPCS workers, and independent registered home care aides. Workers include, but are not limited to, nurses, nursing assistants, physicians, technicians, therapists, phlebotomists, pharmacists, students and trainees, contractual staff not employed by the health care facility, and persons not directly involved in patient care, but who could be exposed to infectious agents that can be transmitted in the health care setting (e.g., clerical, dietary, environmental services, laundry, security, engineering and facilities management, administrative, billing, and volunteer personnel). The Delta variant is highly transmissible and may cause more severe illness. All workers who provide services or work in facilities described in subdivision (a) have their first dose of a one-dose regimen or their second dose of a two-dose regimen by September 30, 2021: ii. The COVID-19 pandemic remains a significant challenge in California. CDPH continues to assess conditions on an ongoing basis. Worker has been continuously off-work from the time the. Accordingly, amendments to the original State Public Health Officer Order of September 28, 2021, to make boosters mandatory and to require additional testing of workers eligible for boosters who are not yet boosted are necessary at this critical time. If the worker still refuses to comply within this timeframe, HAs shall initiate or continue corrective or disciplinary action. Gov. 9. Workers may obtain no-cost COVID-19 testing from CDCR/CCHCS testing clinic(s) at their institution/facility. Based on the emergence of Omicron, additional statewide facility-directed measures are necessary to ensure we maintain adequate staffing levels within our healthcare delivery system. COVID-19 vaccines are effective in reducing infection and serious impacts including hospitalization and death.