HomeMy WebLinkAbout45 21 C 'i(( atirlyZa 714 i
COUNTY OF JEFFERSON
State of Washington
In the Matter of Adopting an Eighth }
Temporary County Policy Based on } RESOLUTION NO. 45 21
Emergency Response to the COVID-19 }
Pandemic }
WHEREAS, on February 29, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee declared a State of
Emergency in all Counties in Washington State to due to the public health emergency caused by
the COVID-19 virus; and
WHEREAS,on March 10,2020,the Jefferson County Health Officer issued a Public
Health Order to control and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus; and
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the
outbreak of COVID-19 to be a pandemic; and
WHEREAS, on March 16, 2020, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners
approved a Declaration of Emergency due to the COVID-19 Pandemic; and
WHEREAS, on March 23, 2020, Governor Jay Inslee signed Proclamation 20-25
declaring that a State of Emergency continues to exist in all Counties in Washington State due to
COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, on March 23, 2020, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners
approved a Resolution Temporarily Limiting Access to County Buildings and Offices through
April 24, 2020, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic; and
WHEREAS, on March 23, 2020, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners
approved a Resolution Adopting a Temporary Policy for a Limited Period of Time to Grant
"Emergency Paid Administrative Leave"; Authorize Telecommuting; and Authorize Sick Leave
Advancement for employees due to the COVID-19 Pandemic through April 24, 2020; and
WHEREAS, on April 13, 2020, the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners
approved a Resolution Extending the Order Temporarily Limiting Access to County Buildings and
Offices due to the COVID-19 Pandemic through May 4, 2020 or for as long as the Governor's
Stay Home—Stay Healthy Order is in effect; and
WHEREAS,on June 24,2020,the Secretary of Health issued Order 20-03,effective
June 26, 2020, requiring all individuals in Washington State to wear a face covering that covers
their nose and mouth when in any indoor or outdoor public setting, except under certain
circumstances, which provides a minimum level of protection for Washingtonians when they are
not at work where the Department of Labor& Industries' face covering requirements apply; and
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WHEREAS, on July 24, 2020, the Secretary of Health issued Order 20-03.1,
effective July 25, 2020, which expands the Secretary's prior face covering mandate to require all
people in Washington State to wear a face covering when they are outside of their house, mobile
home, apartment, condominium, hotel or motel room, bedroom in a congregate living setting, or
other dwelling unit; and
WHEREAS, as of March 1, 2021, COVID-19 vaccines became available for the
general public and employees according to each individual's Washington State mandated priority
order and Jefferson County, in order to promote public health during this pandemic,deems it in its
interests to encourage employees to become vaccinated; and
WHEREAS, Proclamation 20-25 has been amended several times, with the most
recent amendment occurring on May 21, 2021 in Proclamation 20-25.13; and,
WHEREAS,on June 11,2021 Governor Inslee announced that industries may return
to usual operations on June 30, 2021, except the May 21, 2021 masking guidance from the
Washington Department of Labor& Industries in Publication F414-179-000 [05-2021] continues
to apply; and
WHEREAS, rates of COVID-19 transmission and hospitalization have been on the
rise throughout the summer of 2021 due to the highly contagious Delta variant, largely in the
unvaccinated population; and
WHEREAS, fully vaccinated persons obtain a high level of protection from the
vaccine both in terms of getting sick and, even if there is a breakthrough infection for fully
vaccinated persons from getting a severe version of the disease;
WHEREAS,the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated on July 27,2021
that to maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others,
wear a mask indoors in public if people are in an area of substantial or high transmission; and
WHEREAS, concern and uncertainty exist about the possibility of increased
transmission of current and future COVID-19 variants to children, the immunocompromised and
vaccinated populations; and
WHEREAS, on July 26, 2021, Health Officers from eight Puget Sound Counties,
including Clallam and Jefferson, released the following recommendation: "The health officers of
King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap, Clallam, Jefferson, San Juan, and Grays Harbor counties have
joined together to pass on their best public health advice to protect you, your family, and our
communities. We recommend all residents wear facial coverings when in indoor public settings
where the vaccination status of those around you is unknown. This step will help reduce the risk
of COVID-19 to the public, including customers and workers, help stem the increase in COVID-
19 cases and hospitalizations in many parts of the state and decrease the spread of the highly
contagious Delta variant. " and
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WHEREAS, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic there have been waves of
increased risk of transmission, requiring the ability to implement stricter mitigations and safety
protocols as recommended by public health officials; and
WHEREAS, RCW 38.52.070(2) vests emergency powers in the Board to take
extraordinary measures for the preservation of public health and to relieve loss, hardship, and
suffering; and
WHEREAS, the severity of the situation demands that the Board take measures to
protect the public and County employees from further transmission of COVID-19 in Jefferson
County;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Jefferson County
Commissioners that:
1. In-person, open public meetings are hereby suspended until such time as they are deemed
safe by the local Health Officer, and will be held in virtual formats only with the public
having access via internet platforms (such as Zoom or GoTo Meeting), via the telephone
or streaming on the County's website; and
2. APPENDIX `I' — Temporary Personnel Policies to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic as
amended (attached) is adopted as set forth below to comply with the Health Officer
recommendations of July 26,2021 in addition to the most recent workplace guidance from
the Washington Department of Labor and Industries; and
3. Policy 5 (E), as described in Appendix `I, is amended to reflect current Health Officer
guidance on masking indoors.
4. The remainder of APPENDIX `I' —Temporary Personnel Policies to Address the COVID-
19 Pandemic (attached)remains in effect, as amended.
5. Policy 6, DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO
ISSUE INTERPRETATIONS, remains in effect until the end of the temporary period of
the public health emergency, as amended.
6. Policy 7, TEMPORARY PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE ENHANCEMENT, shall
remain in effect, but shall expire at 11:59 p.m. on September 30, 2021. This temporary
policy allows regular Jefferson County employees to be vaccinated on paid work time,with
limitations.
7. Each policy in this resolution is adopted as a temporary measure to slow and help prevent
the spread of the COVID-19 virus, APPENDIX `I' — Temporary Personnel Policies to
Address the COVID-19 Pandemic as amended (attached) continues to be added to the
Jefferson County Personnel Administration Manual and contains standards for public
service and accountability and is necessary to maintain the efficiency of governmental
operations. Employees who fail to follow the requirements of APPENDIX `I' are subject
to disciplinary action and termination for just cause.
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8. This Resolution shall repeal and replace Resolution 36-21 of Jefferson County and shall be
effective immediately upon adoption.
- .. I 1 co d /
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,;_ PPROVED AND ADOPTED this .� day of kti , 2021.
! �",, 4 i JEFFERSON COUNTY
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• BO F COMMISSIONERS
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ATTEST n ti —.I`---
di Eisenhour, Member
Carolyn t.llaway, CMC
Clerk of the Board
Page 4 of 4
APPENDIX `I' — Temporary Personnel Policies
to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic
5. HEALTH AND SAFETY WORKPLACE REQUIREMENTS: To help prevent the
spread of COVID-19 employees must follow these workplace requirements:
C. Sick Employees Must Stay Home: Please help keep co-workers safe. This includes
temporary/seasonal employees.
1. If you are sick,please contact your supervisor immediately and stay at home.
2. Medical certification from your health care provider may be required.
3. If you need to stay home to care for a sick family member, please do so. During this
time, more workers may need to stay at home to care for sick children or other sick
family members than is normal.
4. Employees may use applicable Federal Emergency Paid Sick Leave as well as their
individual leave accruals per policy (e.g., sick leave, vacation, floating holidays, and
comp time).
D. COVID-19-Sick Employees or Family Members:
1. Employees who have been sick with or without COVID-19 may be required to provide
medical certification. Medical certification for FMLA requests will be required if the
FMLA is for a COVID-19-sick employee or family member.
2. If an employee has COVID-19,the employee must:
a. Notify their supervisor immediately. The supervisor and any other employee who
knows must keep it confidential.This is required by the Americans with Disabilities
Act(ADA);
b. Contact the Public Health Department. The Public Health Department will conduct
contact tracing and inform close contacts of the sick employee that they may have
been exposed to COVID-19; and,
c. Follow guidance from the CDC regarding symptoms and testing and what to do if
you are sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.
3. Employees who have a family member at home with COVID-19 must:
a. Notify their supervisor immediately.
b. Contact the Public Health Department. The Public Health Department will conduct
contact tracing and inform close contacts of the sick employee that they may have
been exposed to COVID-19; and,
c. Follow guidance from the CDC regarding symptoms and testing and what to do if
you are sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.Working
remotely may be authorized if approved by the employee's department director.
Page 1 of 4
Adopted: July 28,2021 Appendix I
Temporary Personnel Policies
to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic
E. Required Face Coverings: To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 employees must
follow these workplace requirements (updated on July 28, 2021):
1. Unvaccinated employees will continue to wear cloth facial covering (a "mask")
over the nose and mouth at all times to prevent transmitting droplets while working
or present indoors at Jefferson County buildings or offices.
2. Employees working outdoors will not be required to wear a mask.
3. Fully vaccinated employees for COVID-19 are required to mask when in any
publicly-accessible or shared space inside County buildings or offices, including
hallways, stairways, meeting rooms, breakrooms, restrooms, or any public area where
they might encounter other individuals. This would include employees that enter
businesses, homes, other structures or vehicles in the performance of their duties.
a. In order to qualify as a "fully vaccinated employee," an employee must confirm
they are fully vaccinated under penalty of perjury that they are fully vaccinated to
the Human Resources Manager or designee.
b. "Fully vaccinated" means that a person has received all the required doses of a
vaccine for COVID19 (e.g., two doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, or one
dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine), two weeks have passed since the final
dose, and has provided the required proof of vaccination required by Section 3.a.,
above.
4. Fully vaccinated employees for COVID-19 are NOT required to mask in the
following scenarios:
a. When within their own, non-shared office;
b. In meetings of County staff who are all verified as fully vaccinated and
participation in the meeting is limited in size to 10 persons or less;
c. At their workstation while NOT interacting with other County staff or members
of the public AND if their workstation has protective features such as six feet of
physical distance from other people or has a plexiglass shield. Department Directors
and Elected Officials may impose stricter requirements based on their circumstances.
5.Required Log of Fully Vaccinated Employees. The Human Resources Manager shall
keep a log of the employees who have verified they have been fully vaccinated and the
date of full vaccination. The Human Resource Manager shall make the log available
to the Washington Department of Labor& Industries upon request.
6. Applicable Rules When Unvaccinated Employees or Other Persons Who Are Not
Fully Vaccinated Are Present.
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Adopted: July 28,2021 Appendix I
Temporary Personnel Policies
to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic
c. If an employee chooses not to provide proof they have been fully vaccinated, it
shall be assumed that they are not fully vaccinated for purposes of this policy and
all the masking requirements of this policy applicable to unvaccinated employees
apply.
d. Unvaccinated employees should keep at least six feet of physical distance between
coworkers and the public at all times, unless not feasible. Elected Officials and
Department Directors or the Human Resources Manager may determine the
locations where the recommended physical distancing is not feasible.
e. Unvaccinated employees should avoid touching mouth, nose, eyes or nearby
surfaces when putting on, using, and removing a face covering.
f. When wearing face coverings is required, unvaccinated employees may wear
County-provided face coverings or coverings made or purchased by the employee.
g. Unvaccinated employees shall keep cloth face coverings clean, consistent with
washing standards set by the CDC.
h. Unvaccinated employees should meet in person only for as short a time as possible.
i. If work duties require driving, unvaccinated employees who do not live together
shall take separate vehicles when the passenger space does not allow for sufficient
physical distancing.
j. Employees should limit in-person meetings that include unvaccinated persons, and
instead use phone conferences or video meetings when feasible.
2. Exception for Courts. The judges of the District and Superior Courts have authority to
modify the requirements in this Section 5.D. as necessary to meet statutory or
constitutional requirements for their courtrooms.
3. Americans With Disabilities Act Compliance. Pursuant to the Americans With
Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. §§ 12101-12213) or the Washington State Law
Against Discrimination (ch. 49.60 RCW), an unvaccinated employee may request an
accommodation to the face covering requirements in this section.
F. Frequent and Adequate Hand Washing: To help prevent the spread of COVID-19
employees must follow these workplace requirements:
1. Wash hands frequently and regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds as
needed and including: when arriving at work, coming and going from different
worksites,taking breaks, using the restroom, before and after eating, drinking or using
tobacco products, after sneezing and/or coughing, and after touching surfaces or
handling objects touched by others or suspected of being contaminated.
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Adopted: July 28,2021 Appendix I
Temporary Personnel Policies
to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic
2. Use hand sanitizer(between handwashing) after touching surfaces or handling objects
touched by others or suspected of being contaminated.
3. Do not touch mouth, nose or eyes with unwashed hands.
H. Education: To help prevent the spread of COVID-19 employees are provided the
following information about these workplace requirements:
1. Education and information about COVID-19 is provided to employees through adopted
policies, established guidelines and protocols, signs, posters, informational bulletins
and meetings.
2. Resources for current information and additional guidance include:
a. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC): www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.
b. Washington State Department of Health: www.doh.wa.gov/coronavirus.
c. Washington State Department of Labor and Industries: www.lni.wa.gov.
d. Jefferson County Public Health: www.co jefferson.wa.us/1429/COVID-19 or by
telephone at(360)385-9400.
6. DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO ISSUE
INTERPRETATIONS AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO HEALTH AND
WORKPLACE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS: During the temporary period of the public
health emergency, the County Administrator is hereby delegated authority to issue
interpretations as needed of how these Policies and the leave policies of the Jefferson County
Personnel Administration Manual shall be administered by the County, including Elected
Officials and Department Directors, during the temporary period of the public health
emergency to ensure efficient use of resources and compliance with federal and state law.
In addition, and as necessary, the County Administrator may adjust in writing the Health and
Workplace Safety Requirement (#5) outlined in this Policy to be consistent with Federal or
State law, and report those changes to the Board of Commissioners.
7. TEMPORARY PAID ADMINISRATIVE LEAVE ENHANCEMENT: As of March 1,
2021, COVID-19 vaccines will soon become available for the general public and Jefferson
County employees according to each individual's Washington State mandated priority order.
Jefferson County, in order to promote public health during this pandemic, deems it in its
interests to encourage employees to become vaccinated.Therefore,each regular employee may
temporarily use Paid Administrative Leave(pay code 223,reason code COVAX)when absent
in order to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This code may be used twice by each regular
employee, for up to 2 hours each usage.
Policy 7 shall remain in effect, but shall expire at 11:59 p.m. on September 30, 2021.
If federal, state, or local health officer requirements are more stringent than the above policies,the
more stringent federal, state, or local health officer requirements shall apply.
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Adopted: July 28,2021 Appendix I
Temporary Personnel Policies
to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic