Masks and other guidance
This message is to follow-up on last week's ANR Update about Reopening Guidelines for UC ANR locations. While the Governor and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) have issued new guidance concerning where and when members of the public should wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we have additional requirements to consider in our workplaces and programming. Cal/OSHA adopted the revised COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) which took effect on June 17. The UC ANR Mask Protocol summarizes these requirements.
Put simply, employees who are fully vaccinated are not required to wear a mask while working onsite at UC ANR workplaces, as long as they have provided valid proof of vaccination. Employees who are not vaccinated must wear a mask while working indoors, with a few exceptions.
To comply with the ETS and upcoming UC policy, UC ANR began a survey last week to collect information about employees' COVID-19 vaccination status. Please respond to the survey soon, if you have not done so already.
Additionally, every UC ANR location needs to update its site-specific COVID-19 Prevention Plan, to conform to the latest safety standards and current operations.
With these multiple changes happening simultaneously, employees should continue to wear a mask while working indoors until the following actions have occurred:
- Employee has responded to the COVID-19 vaccination survey to verify they have been vaccinated. Employees who are not vaccinated or are granted an exemption or exception to the vaccination policy will continue to need to wear masks
- Location has updated its COVID-19 Prevention Plan
Once these two steps are completed, vaccinated employees may work indoors in UC ANR workplaces without masks.
Please don't ask your colleagues if they have been vaccinated. If you see a colleague who is wearing a mask, please don't speculate on the reason. There are several reasons why someone may choose to or be advised to continue to wear a mask, such as other health issues that make them more vulnerable, personal choice or concern over risk of COVID-19 or other illness, or they may have a medical exemption or religious exception from being vaccinated for COVID-19. The vaccination status of individual employees will be kept private. Information may be shared with supervisors or others in the office only as needed to ensure mask rules are followed or as needed to implement accommodations for employees.
Additionally, visitors to UC ANR offices or locations should not be asked about their vaccination status. Visitors may self-attest whether they are vaccinated and therefore do not need to wear a mask inside UC ANR facilities. UCCE county offices must also follow any County procedures regarding mask requirements. Sample signs are available on the UC ANR COVID-19 reopening resources page that can be printed and posted to inform visitors of local mask policy.
Also, please note that there are some settings where our work may take us that still require masks for all persons. This includes:
- Travel – while using public transit or transit hubs – such as airports
- Schools/youth settings – if you are working on-site in K-12 schools, masks are still required when indoors. Masks, distancing and other preventive measures are still required indoors for day camps (see CDPH checklist https://files.covid19.ca.gov/pdf/checklist-daycamps--en.pdf). Note: we are working with the State 4-H office to develop further guidance on how the current health guidance applies to various 4-H activities or settings.
- Healthcare, long-term care, shelters, and correctional facilities.
If you are attending any of these settings for work, be prepared to wear a mask and adhere to the location's COVID-19 protocols.
Thank you all for your cooperation as we move to another phase of our response to this pandemic.
Brian Oatman
Director, Risk & Safety Services