After public outcry, confusion and mixed signals coming from Cal OSHA and the California Department of Public Health, the state is now following CDC Guidelines when it comes to no more masks for some at work. Employers may allow fully vaccinated employees to stop wearing face coverings indoors, but employers must document their vaccination status.
According to the state’s COVID-19 website; Vaccinated people do not need to wear masks in most circumstances. Unvaccinated people should wear masks in indoor, public settings.
Masks are still required for all workers, clients, vendors, etc. in these areas:
Public transit
Hospitals
Long-term care facilities
Homeless shelters
Indoors in K-12 schools, childcare, and other youth settings
There are some rules that affect home care as it relates to being a “health care setting”. Our administrative offices are not a health care setting. Our policy is that anyone entering our offices without wearing a mask is attesting that they do not have a recent COVID-19 exposure, do not have symptoms and that they are fully vaccinated, meaning two weeks have passed since their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or the single dose of Johnson & Johnson.
Employees working in an assisted living facility or long term care facility must follow the facility’s rules regarding masks, COVID-19 testing and social distancing.
In a private client home, a vaccinated employee may work without wearing a face covering as long as the client is agreeable to this and the client is also vaccinated. Upon admission, our nurse or office staff will confirm client vaccination status and whether an exposure to COVID-19 has occurred. Clients may also continue to request that masks be worn by home care staff regardless of vaccination status.
All employees and/or clients must report any confirmed or suspected exposure to COVID-19. Any nurse or caregiver assigned to a COVID-19 positive client will be advised ahead of time and given a COVID-19 Safety kit including a N-95 respirator. A respirator can also be requested by an unvaccinated employee for voluntary use when working indoors or in a vehicle with others.
In outbreaks, all employees must wear face coverings indoors and outdoors when six-feet physical distancing cannot be maintained, regardless of vaccination status.
Our regular infection control measures will continue including proper handwashing, disinfecting and cleaning of surfaces, and regular reporting of any illness.
Each caregiver or nurse who reports to each shift is doing so believing that he/she is fit for duty and not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. Employees are responsible for self-screening on a daily basis and reporting anything out of the ordinary to the office immediately.
Of course, any employee, vendor, client or visitor may choose to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.
