We hope that this finds you well. We are providing the latest information on COVID-19 health and safety as promptly as we can. Please read on for important updates and health orders.
Bay Area Counties Require Masking Indoors for Everyone
Vaccination continues to protect against severe COVID-19 illness, but with the COVID-19 Delta variant now infecting a small percentage of vaccinated people as well as many unvaccinated people, eight Bay Area health officers have issued Health Orders requiring masks indoors in public places. The Orders require all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings when indoors in public settings, with limited exceptions, starting at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, August 3rd.
State Mandates and Other Recommendations
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Those that work in health care must either be vaccinated or submit weekly COVID-19 tests to their employer (staff must show employer the outcome of the test)
- CDA recommends that the employer have a spreadsheet with employee names, that keeps track of either their vaccination status or the testing status (date of test and outcome of test). This must be confidential as it contains medical information.
- Please see information regarding COVID testing below. If purchasing a test, it is recommended that the employer pays for the purchase of the test.
- CDA is recommending that employers pay their staff for the time it takes to get a test, since it pertains to their job
- If an employee doesn’t want to get the vaccine or testing, it means that they aren’t in compliance. If an employer is looking to terminate the staff member for non-compliancy, CDA recommends the employer speak to an attorney first.
- Employers can retain the vaccination and test records in their office (separate from their employee file), in case the health department visits and checks that the employer is compliant
Where to Get COVID-19 Test Kits
To comply with the state public health order, unvaccinated individuals will need either an antigen or PCR test for the weekly testing. Tests that have the FDA emergency use authorization are listed here and here.
Additionally, members can contact the companies directly for information on purchasing their product. The only over-the-counter, self-administered test kit sold through multiple outlets is BinaxNow. It is sold through pharmacies, Amazon.com and Henry Schein Medical. Henry Schein may also offer PCR test kits.
Below are companies that sell over-the-counter antigen tests:
Additionally, the state has provided a lab list through the COVID-19 Testing Task Force. Some of these labs will sell test kits, which an individual can use to collect samples, then forward to the lab for processing. Other labs will process the samples, but leave customers to purchase their own test kits.
The FAQ regarding the state public health order is now available. There are still outstanding questions CDA is working to receive clarity on, so they anticipate adding to this document as more information becomes available.
A few new resources have also been posted:
Additionally, here are related resources that may be helpful to members:
