Responding to COVID-19 in the Workplace

Employers should have procedures in place for seeking information from employees related to COVID-19 cases and close contacts in the workplace. This includes collecting and keeping records of all COVID-19 cases: their date of symptom onset, COVID-19 testing dates and results, last date present at workplace and their workplace close contacts.

Once a case is identified at the workplace, the employer should

• Make sure the case follows isolation instructions and does not return to work until their isolation is completed.
• Determine who may have been a close contact to the case at the workplace. This includes assessing the case’s activities and workplace locations while they were infectious.
• Inform all close contacts in the workplace of their exposure and provide instructions:
  
  Close contacts that are not fully vaccinated and who have not recently recovered from COVID-19.
  • Must be restricted from work. See Return to Work for more details
  • Instruct employees exposed to a laboratory-confirmed case follow quarantine orders and instructions.
  • Make COVID-19 viral testing available at no cost, during paid time.
• 
  Close contacts that are fully vaccinated or who have recently recovered from COVID-19 may continue to work as long as they do not have COVID-19 symptoms.
  • They do not need to quarantine.
  • Testing is recommended for fully vaccinated close contacts. Close contacts that have recently recovered from COVID-19 should not be tested, unless symptomatic.
  • Instruct them to monitor their health for 14 days after the last contact with the case.
    • If they develop COVID-19 symptoms within the 14 days, they must be restricted from work. See Return to Work for more details.
    • Note: COVID-19 viral testing must be made available to symptomatic vaccinated close contacts at no cost, during paid time.
    
    
• Review Best Practices in the Workplace to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 to reduce future workplace exposures to COVID-19.
• Report a potential outbreak to LAC DPH if three (3) or more cases of COVID-19 are known or reported among employees within a 14-day period. Report online or by phone: 1-888-397-3993. See Outbreak Response for more information.

Employers are required to report any cluster of worksite COVID-19 cases. A cluster is when three (3) or more laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 are known or reported at the worksite within a 14-day period. Reports to LAC DPH should be made as soon as possible and no later than 48 hours after reports or knowledge of at least three cases. Report to LAC DPH online or by phone: 1-888-397-3993.

Once LAC DPH receives a cluster report, they will initiate a response to determine the risk of worksite transmission based on number of cases, their work location and duties, how/if the cases interacted with each other and if they share a household or carpool with each other.

If the cluster meets worksite outbreak criteria, a public health case manager will be assigned to help guide the worksite response which includes providing infection control guidance and recommendations, technical support, and site-specific control measures.

COVID-19 cases can return to work after the required isolation period ends. 

Close contacts that are not fully vaccinated and who have not recently recovered from COVID-19 can end quarantine and return to work after meeting one of the following sets of criteria:

A.

• They never developed COVID-19 symptoms; and
• 10 full days have passed since the last known close contact to the COVID-19 case

-or-

B.

• They never developed COVID-19 symptoms; and
• 7 full days have passed since the last close contact to the COVID-19 case; and
• They have a negative viral test result from a specimen collected on or after Day 5 from the date of last exposure to the case.

They must continue to monitor their health for the full quarantine period and follow precautions (wearing a mask around others, hand washing, avoiding crowds, and staying at least 6 feet from others) for 14 days after the last contact with the case.

Close contacts that develop COVID-19 symptoms within 14 days after the last contact with the case may return to work after meeting one of the following criteria:

• At least 10 days have passed from when their symptoms first started; and
• Their COVID-19 symptoms have improved; and
• They have been fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine

-or-

• They test negative for COVID-19 using a PCR test with a specimen collected after their COVID-19 symptoms began; and
• At least 10 days have passed since the last known close contact with the case; and
• They have been symptom free for at least 24 hours, without using fever-reducing medicine.

Note: If the employee is either fully vaccinated or they recovered from COVID-19 within the last 90 days AND a licensed health care professional determines that their symptoms were caused by a known condition other than COVID-19, then they may return to work after they have been fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine.

Symptomatic employees that are not close contacts to a case:

• If they are diagnosed with COVID-19 (i.e., they test positive or a healthcare provider diagnoses current COVID-19 infection)--they must follow isolation orders and can return to work after the required isolation period ends.
• If they have a negative SARS-CoV-2 viral test result and/or their healthcare provider determines they do not have COVID-19, the employee may return to work after they have been fever-free (without the help of fever-reducing medicines) for at least 24 hours.
• If an employee with symptoms of possible COVID-19 does not get tested and does not get cleared by a doctor, they should be assumed to be a case*. They can return to work when the isolation period for a person with COVID-19 ends. 

*If the employee is fully vaccinated and/or has recently recovered from COVID-19 and there is low COVID-19 prevalence in the community and the workplace (i.e., no outbreaks at the worksite) then COVID-19 is unlikely. They may return to work once their symptoms have improved and they have been fever-free (without the help of fever-reducing medicines) for at least 24 hours.

Staff who have completed the required isolation or quarantine period can return to work and resume usual activities. A letter from Public Health or a negative COVID-19 test is not needed for staff to return to work.

For employees who develop symptoms after COVID-19 Vaccination, see Return to Work Guidelines for Employees Who Develop Systemic Symptoms Post-Vaccination.

Cal/OSHA COVID-19 ETS states that employers must offer testing at no cost to employees during paid time to:

• Symptomatic unvaccinated employees, regardless of whether there is a known exposure. This is a new requirement.
• Unvaccinated employees after an exposure.
• Vaccinated employees after an exposure if they develop symptoms.
• Unvaccinated employees in an outbreak.
• All employees in a major outbreak.

• Best Practices in the Workplace to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19
• LAC DPH Interim Quarantine, Post Exposure Testing, & Work Restriction Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Persons
• Home quarantine instructions for close contacts to COVID-19 ph.lacounty.gov/covidquarantine
• Home isolation instructions for people with COVID-19 ph.lacounty.gov/covidisolation
• COVID-19: Learn About Symptoms and What To Do if You are Sick ph.lacounty.gov/covidcare. Related posters for workplaces in English and Spanish

See the LAC DPH COVID-19 website for additional resources related to COVID-19.