Path to Recovery Update 9/3

 New Employee Process Before Working On Campus

The Return to Campus Committee has revamped the process for employees to follow before coming to the physical campus. This process helps the college follow the Los Angeles County Public Health Department’s safety guidelines.

Employees must receive authorization from their manager to come to the physical campus. If coming to campus at a regular schedule, this request can be done once.

Before coming to campus, employees should perform a health check to verify they are not experiencing symptoms of sickness. The process has been simplified through an online Employee Health Check Form, which can also be accessed from the Public Health website at www.mtsac.edu/covid19. Responses to the form will be automatically forwarded to the employee’s manager as well as Police & Campus Safety and the Office of Risk Management. The health check must be completed each day an employee comes to campus.

In addition, employees who work on campus must do the following:

• Review the Return to Work Guide, edited on August 26 with updated flow charts
• Complete online coronavirus safety training through POD Connect. This training was assigned to employees by their managers and can also be found in POD Connect by searching for “coronavirus.” Mandatory training topics are:
• Coronavirus Awareness
• Coronavirus: Reopening Your Organization
• Coronavirus: Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Workplace
• Coronavirus: CDC Guidelines for Making & Using Cloth Face Coverings

Governor’s New COVID-19 Reopening Plan

California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently unveiled a new process for loosening and tightening COVID-19 restrictions by county. The new system, called Blueprint for a Safer California, places California’s counties into four tiers based on the number of new daily cases and the percentage of positive tests. Tiers are categorized as:

·       Widespread (purple) – Many non-essential indoor business operations are closed. Counties in this tier have more than 7 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per day and a coronavirus test positivity rate of more than 8%. Los Angeles County is currently in this category with 13.1 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per day and a test positivity rate of 5%.

·       Substantial (red) – Some non-essential indoor business operations are closed. Counties in this tier have between 4-7 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per day and a coronavirus test positivity rate of between 5%-8%.

·       Moderate (orange) – Some indoor business operations are open with modifications. Counties in this tier have 1-3.9 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people per day and a coronavirus positivity rate of 2-4.9%.

·       Minimal (yellow) – Most indoor business operations are open with modifications. Counties in this tier have less than one new COVID-19 case per 100,000 people per day and a coronavirus positivity rate of less than 2%.

 The blueprint takes a more cautious approach than previously. Counties now need to show consistent success over two weeks in order to ease restrictions. Counties can also add more stringent guidelines.

 For Los Angeles County (and most of California), these changes won’t have many immediate effects because the county continues to be in the highest risk level with widespread transmission. Guidance for reopening higher education institutions remains the same and continues to be in line with the processes put in place by the college’s Return to Campus Task Force. Learn more on the state Blueprint for a Safer California website.

The Mt. SAC Path to Recovery email provides employees a summary of large-scale efforts from the college to navigate the COVID-19 crisis, including its related economic impact. For more information, visit the Public Health website at www.mtsac.edu/health.