New CDC recommendations to help essential workers from COVID-19 exposure

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2 responses to “New CDC recommendations to help essential workers from COVID-19 exposure”

1. Apr 12, 2020 9:45 AM

   Todd Edelman

   “Guidance” is not a legal Order. For this reason Yolo County’s Dr. Ron Chapman has not implemented things like face-covering mandates, something that’s been done in e.g. Lake County. He also argues that it would be difficult to enforce. There’s no reason for to wear a face covering if one is by themselves outside and maintaining SD, but there’s every reason to require it inside any semi-public facility such as a store: No shoes, no shirt, no mask… no service.
   So this means that all stores don’t have to comply. Most will sure, and credit to those that have.
   I asked the County and City about air circulation (and really, exhaust) and am happy that now there’s at least guidance about it. But it’s logical – i.e. because of asymptomatic transmission – that it should also cover residential situations.
   I recently discussed this general issue with a union representative of supermarket workers and was told that most of this is already being pushed for from the bottom up. One thing that’s missing in the new guidelines is one-way aisles (where design does not allow SD) and he also said that the biggest concern was simply keeping numbers down. I proposed a solution for the latter to the County at least two weeks ago (assigning shopping hours based on last name…). If stores find it necessary to have lines outside it may be uncomfortable for some on the increasingly hot days.
   So it will be interested what Yolo County actually adds to their Order. They have cover if there are no higher-level orders. They don’t need to mention anything if there is only guidance – if they do it’s generally only in response to a question. That said, I am mostly very impressed with the County actions in terms of communication, priority and frequency of Board meetings, super serious things like renting motels rooms for homeless people and testing – the last in very challenging conditions out of their control.
   Finally, a breakroom that few go into is not “crowded” 😉

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2. Apr 12, 2020 11:03 AM

   Eileen Samitz

   Todd,
   While I agree that this cannot necessarily mandated right now, there is no reason why these guideline should not be widely circulated by the County Public Health Officer. Many business owners are likely not aware of it and therefore would be less included to offer masks or face coverings to their employees.
   That said, the County Public Health Officer may change his mind and decide to mandate this to businesses if we wind up with a large surge of residents very sick with COVID-19. Now is the time to act, not after a surge begins. That means starting with circulating these new CDC recommendations countywide to businesses and in the media for the businesses and all of the public to know about it. It would not be easy to enforce, but it would make it easier for businesses to decline customers trying to enter their stores without a mask or face covering.
   Further, UCD can step up and offer to use their own campus police to help supplement the local police in addressing complaints of resident calling in large gathering and other situations where social distancing is clearly not being observed. It can start with a warning and follow up with fines which is what NYC is doing to help enforce social distancing. Lives are at stake if we don’t start doing more to get social distancing implemented now.

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