Staff COVID Information
California’s state of emergency related to COVID-19 officially ended on February 28; likewise, Los Angeles County will end its state of emergency on March 31.
On March 13, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) revised its requirements for managing COVID-19 to fully align with the state’s. Those infected with COVID-19 may now exit isolation after the fifth day if there is no fever and symptoms are mild or improving; testing is no longer required but strongly recommended. Likewise, those who are exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 are no longer required to wear a mask for ten days, though it is strongly recommended. For more information, please visit LACDPH’s website.
Beginning April 1, this webpage and its contents will no longer be updated and will eventually be archived. Should there be a need to provide updates or information about COVID-19, they will be available on the district’s homepage under “News and Announcements.”
MUSD COVID Dashboard
To ensure transparent and accurate information regarding COVID-19 cases within our school district, we are providing a dashboard as of the start of the 22-23 school year (Wednesday, August 17). All data in the dashboard indicate confirmed active cases among our students and staff.
The dashboard data is updated within 24 hours of learning of any confirmed active cases and after any close contacts have been notified. The dashboard may not be updated on weekends or other non-school days. Cases are removed from the dashboard once the student or staff member is cleared to return to school.
CDPH Unvaccinated Public School Employee Policy Update
To better align state COVID-19 guidance with the most current federal recommendations, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is ending COVID-19 policies that required weekly COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated individuals in high-risk workplaces and schools. Health care facilities, other congregate settings, and schools will no longer be required to administer weekly COVID-19 testing of unvaccinated and under-vaccinated workers. The changes take effect this Saturday, September 17, 2022.
County Guidelines for Close Contacts
Asymptomatic close contacts are not required to quarantine; they may remain on campus if they follow all requirements for close contacts. Specifically:
- Monitor symptoms for 10 days.
- Wear a highly protective mask around others indoors, except when eating or drinking, for 10 days after the last date of exposure.
- Test with an FDA-authorized viral COVID-19 test (e.g., PCR or Antigen test, including at-home tests) within 3-5 days since the last date of exposure.*
*NOTE: Asymptomatic students and staff close contacts who were previously infected with COVID within the last 90 days are exempt from testing but must mask around others indoors for 10 days after the last date of exposure.
Close Contact: The preferred method for determining which persons are considered to have been exposed to a case (close contact) during the infectious period is if they shared the same indoor airspace at school with the infected person for 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. In large indoor airspaces: those considered exposed may be limited to 1) those in a pre-defined or identifiable group (e.g., teammates, club members, cohort, etc.) or 2) those within 6 feet of the infected person for 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period within that large indoor airspace.
August 8, 2022 County Guidance
Quarantine Flow Chart
COVID-19 SUPPLEMENTAL PAID SICK LEAVE
If you were out due to COVID from January 01- February 19, 2022, and are requesting that sick time be reinstated please complete the attached:
Click here for more details on COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave
On February 9, 2022, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 114 which requires employers with 26 or more employees to provide Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for specific COVID-19 related reasons. The law is retroactive to January 1, 2022, and will remain in effect until September 30, 2022. Qualifying employers are required to provide up to 80 hours of COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick leave, with 40 of those hours available only when the employee or their family member tests positive for COVID-19.
Reasons for Taking Leave
What are the circumstances that allow a covered employee to take 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave?
2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave provides for two separate banks of leave, each of up to 40 hours.
The first bank of COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave, up to 40 hours, is available to covered employees unable to work or telework due to any one of the following reasons:
- Caring for Yourself: The covered employee is subject to a quarantine or isolation period related to COVID-19 (see note below), and has been advised by a healthcare provider to quarantine due to COVID-19, or is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis.
- Caring for a Family Member: The covered employee is caring for a family member who is either subject to a quarantine or isolation period related to COVID-19 (see note below) or has been advised by a healthcare provider to quarantine due to COVID-19, or the employee is caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed or unavailable due to COVID-19 on the premises.
- Vaccine-Related: The covered employee or a qualifying family member is attending a vaccine appointment or cannot work or telework due to vaccine-related side effects.
NOTE: The quarantine or isolation period related to COVID-19 is the period defined by an order or guidance of the California Department of Public Health, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or a local public health officer with jurisdiction over the workplace.
The second bank of COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave, up to 40 hours, is available only if an employee or a family member for whom they are providing care tested positive for COVID 19.
For more information, contact the HR Leaves Team:
Certificated: [email protected]
California State Documents Regarding COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave
FAQ’s Regarding COVID-19 Protocols for Staff
FAQ’s About Testing Positive for COVID-19
I tested positive for COVID-19! What should I do?
If you have tested positive for COVID-19, STAY HOME, isolate yourself away from others, and notify your site administrator and/or health staff and your HR coordinator immediately for further direction.
Per LACDPH, you are required to isolate for a minimum of 5 full days from the onset of symptoms, or from the date of your test if you are asymptomatic, or a maximum of 10 full days from onset of symptoms, or from the date of the test if asymptomatic.
It is beneficial to know symptom onset and/or positive test date for group tracing and notifications of close contacts if you were working while contagious.
Per LACDPH guidelines, you may retest on Day 5 after symptom onset/positive test date with an FDA-approved rapid antigen home test to return to work on Day 6 if the following conditions are met:
- The results are negative
- No fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine
- And symptoms are improving.
To shorten your isolation period to 5 full days, per CAL-OSHA, your rapid antigen home test must be supervised by the site health staff or site administrator, or a verified telehealth proctor. Please contact your site to make arrangements to take this test. If you are still positive on day 6, you must complete a full 10-day isolation to return on day 11.
If you do not choose to test on Day 5, you must isolate for 10 full days from the date of symptom onset, or from the date of your test if asymptomatic. You can return on Day 11. You are not required to retest if you choose this option.
To help calculate your isolation and return date, please note that Day 0 is the first day of symptoms; Day 1 is the first full day after symptoms develop. For asymptomatic staff, Day 0 is the day the first positive test was collected; Day 1 is the first full day after the positive test was collected. However, when you contact your site administrator and/or health staff, they can help you calculate these dates for you.
I tested positive for COVID-19, but I’m fully vaccinated. Do I still need to isolate?
Yes. Regardless of vaccination status, once you have tested positive for COVID-19 you must STAY HOME, isolate yourself away from others and notify your worksite. A positive test result, whether fully vaccinated or fully vaccinated and boosted, indicates that you are infectious and you must adhere to LACDPH guidelines listed above.
I tested positive for COVID-19, but I have mild symptoms, or no symptoms at all. Can I come back to work?
No. Once you have tested positive for COVID-19, you may not return to work unless you have fulfilled the return to work procedure outlined by LACDPH. COVID-19 affects everyone differently. Although you may feel ok or be asymptomatic, you must still adhere to LACDPH guidelines and isolate as described above.
Who do I contact if I test positive for COVID-19?
If you have tested positive, please contact your site administrator and/or health staff and MUSD human resources immediately.
If you are an employee of the District Office, MOT, IT/Technology or ATP, please contact the District Nurse or the COVID-19 Mitigation Nurse, as well as your HR coordinator.
Can I use a home antigen test to return to work after testing positive for COVID-19?
Yes. Any FDA-approved rapid home antigen tests are acceptable in order to return to work on Day 5. However, to shorten your isolation period, per CAL-OSHA, your rapid antigen home test must be supervised by the site health staff or site administrator, or a verified telehealth proctor. Please contact your site to make arrangements to take this test. A PCR test is accepted but please be advised that you may test positive with a PCR for up to 90 days after initial infection.
FAQ's about Staff with COVID-like Symptoms or Exposure to COVID-19
Symptoms consistent with possible COVID-19 in adults: fever ≥ 100.4○ or feeling feverish (chills, sweating); cough; shortness of breath; new loss of taste or smell; fatigue; runny or stuffy nose; muscle or body aches; headache; sore throat; nausea or vomiting; diarrhea.
I’ve been informed that I was a close contact to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. I’m fully vaccinated and boosted or not yet eligible for my booster. What are my next steps?
Current LACDPH guidelines indicate that you are exempt from quarantine but need to monitor for symptoms. You must upgrade your mask for 10 days after your last exposure to a mask that is a non-cloth mask of multiple layers and non-woven with a metal nose bridge.
If at any time you develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19, STAY HOME, quarantine away from others, and have a COVID-19 test. DO NOT COME TO WORK until you receive a negative test result. If you have a positive test result, STAY HOME, and please notify your site administrator and/or health staff and HR immediately for further direction, and see the instructions above.
I’ve been informed that I was a close contact to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. I am not vaccinated, or I am partially vaccinated. What are my next steps?
Staff who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated are required to quarantine for 5-10 days and you may not remain at work during the quarantine period.
You have the option to test on Day 5 (after 5 full days in quarantine from exposure) with a rapid antigen test or PCR test and end your quarantine Day 6. To shorten your quarantine period to 5 days, per CAL-OSHA, your rapid antigen home test must be supervised by the site health staff or site administrator, or a verified telehealth proctor. Please contact your site to make arrangements to take this test.
Your other option is to complete a 10-day quarantine, you may return on Day 11 if you did not test positive after exposure and you have remained asymptomatic.
Upgrade your mask for 10 days since last exposure to a mask that is a non-cloth mask of multiple layers and non-woven with a metal nose bridge.
I’ve been informed that I was a close contact to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. I have completed a two-dose series of Pfizer or Moderna or received one dose of J&J and have not received my booster and I am booster eligible. What are my next steps?
Per current LACDPH guidelines, you are under a blanket quarantine order, however, you can remain at the worksite on the condition that if you do not have symptoms and meet testing and masking requirements. .
You have the option to test on Day 5 from exposure with a rapid antigen test or PCR test and end your quarantine Day 6. Your other option is to complete a 10-day quarantine, you may return on day 11 if you did not test positive after exposure and remained asymptomatic.
Upgrade your mask for 10 days since last exposure to a mask that is a non-cloth mask of multiple layers and non-woven with a metal nose bridge.
Please remember that you are still under a blanket quarantine order everywhere except the workplace. You may come to work as described above, but you must then go home and continue to quarantine until you receive a negative test result from your Day 5 (or after) test.
If at any time you develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19, STAY HOME, quarantine away from others, and have a COVID-19 test. DO NOT COME TO WORK until you receive a negative test result. If you have a positive test result, STAY HOME, and please notify your site administrator and/or health staff and HR immediately for further direction.
For more information regarding quarantine, please click the link below:
I’ve been informed that I was a close contact to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. I have recovered from LAB-CONFIRMED COVID-19 in the past 90 days. What are my next steps?
LACDPH has indicated that people who have had a lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 test in the last 90 days are exempt from testing and quarantine.
However, if at any time you develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19, STAY HOME, quarantine away from others, and have a COVID-19 test. DO NOT COME TO WORK until you receive a negative test result. If you have a positive test result, STAY HOME, and please notify your site administrator and/or health staff and HR immediately for further direction.
I have COVID-19 symptoms. What should I do? What if I’m fully vaccinated and boosted, or not yet eligible for my booster?
Regardless of vaccination status, if you develop COVID-19 symptoms, STAY HOME, test as soon as you can, and self-quarantine until you receive your test result. Notify your worksite that you are under surveillance for possible COVID-19 infection and do not report to work until you receive a negative test result. If you test positive, follow the instructions above.
FAQ's about COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave
How are “family member” and “child” defined under 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave?
Like 2021 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave, a family member includes a child, parent, spouse, registered domestic partner, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling.
A child can include a biological, adopted, or foster child, a step-child, legal ward, or a child to whom the employee stands in loco parentis.
A parent includes a biological, adoptive, or foster parent, step-parent, or legal guardian of the employee or the employee’s spouse or registered domestic partner or person who stood in loco parentis when the employee was a minor child.
Is a covered employee eligible for 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave if someone with whom the covered employee lives is exposed, experiences symptoms, or is diagnosed with COVID-19?
A covered employee is eligible for COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave if the employee is caring for a family member whom a medical professional has recommended to stay home due to COVID-19; or caring for a family member who is subject to a COVID-19 related quarantine or isolation period as defined by an order or guidance of the California Department of Public Health, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or a local public health officer with jurisdiction over the family member’s workplace; or if the employee themselves is subject to such an order due to COVID-19 exposure.
Does being subject to a general stay-at-home order mean that a covered employee is “subject to a quarantine or isolation period related to COVID-19 as defined by an order or guidance of the California Department of Public Health, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or a local health officer with jurisdiction over the workplace"?
No. The order or guidance must be specific to the covered employee’s circumstances. A general stay-at-home order would not count. For example, guidance or an order of a local public health officer that directs individuals who live with someone who has COVID-19 to quarantine themselves would satisfy the eligibility requirement for taking 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave.
Can an employer require documentation if an employee is requesting retroactive pay for the 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave that is available only if the employee or qualifying family member was positive for COVID-19?
Yes, if the employee is requesting retroactive pay for leave that is available only if the employee or qualifying family member was positive for COVID-19, an employer may request documentation. This documentation could include, among other things, a medical record of the test result, an e-mail or text from the testing company with the results, a picture of the test result, or a contemporaneous text or e-mail from the employee to the employer stating that the employee or a qualifying family member tested positive for COVID-19.
How much COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave is an employee entitled to receive if they work part-time or less than 40 hours per week?
Employees are entitled to COVID-19 SPSL based on the assigned hours per day.
How much 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave is a full-time covered employee entitled to receive?
A covered employee who is considered full-time or who worked or was scheduled to work an average of at least 40 hours per week in the two weeks before the leave is taken is entitled to up to 80 hours of leave, comprised of 40 hours of COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for any of the reasons stated above and an additional 40 hours if the covered employee or qualifying family member tests positive for COVID-19.
Do you have to exhaust the one week of COVID-19 paid sick leave that can be used for any qualifying reason before using the one week reserved for when an employee or qualifying family member tests positive for COVID-19?
No. The two weeks do not need to be consecutive, and exhaustion of one is not required before using another.
For example, a full-time covered employee can use 10 hours from the first bank to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot and recover from symptoms, 40 hours from the second bank to care for a family member that tested positive for COVID 19, and then 30 hours from the first bank to care for a child whose daycare had closed due to COVID-19 on the premises.
Does the 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave law address specific situations in which an employer may request documentation before paying the employee?
Yes, in several situations.
First, the 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave law permits the employer to seek documentation before paying an employee if an employee is using the COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave that is only available after a positive test. In such circumstances, the employee must provide the test results upon the reasonable request of the employer. If the employee fails to provide the result of the test, then the employer may deny pay for any leave taken.
Second, when an employee uses more than three days or 24 hours for a single vaccine appointment and recovery from any related side effects, an employer may seek medical certification that the employee required more time to recover from those side effects. Medical certification in this context would likely be a note from a health care provider that the employee or family member continued to have vaccine side effects.
Can the employer require an employee to get a COVID-19 test under the 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave law?
Yes, in certain circumstances. The 2022 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave law provides that an employer may require a test after 5 days have passed since the employee tested positive for COVID-19. If the employee fails to take such a test required by the employer, the employer may deny pay for any leave taken after the time the employer provides the test. Any test required by the employer must be made available by the employer and at no cost to the employee. Making a test available means ensuring the employee has a rapid test in hand or securing an appointment at a testing facility for the employee. A test has not been made available by the employer if it has not been received by the employee.
Is an employer permitted to limit an employee to use 3 days or 24 hours of COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for the employee or a qualifying family member receiving a vaccine or vaccine booster and recovery from any related side effects?
Yes. If a covered employee requests leave to obtain a vaccine or a vaccine booster for themselves or for a qualifying family member and the time for getting the vaccine or vaccine booster combined with the time while the covered employee or qualifying family member is experiencing side effects exceeds three days or 24 hours of leave, the employer may require verification from a health care provider. This means that an employer may limit the leave taken to get a vaccine or a vaccine booster to three days or 24 hours unless the employee provides verification.
Medical verification in this context would likely be a note from a health care provider that the employee or family member continued to have vaccine side effects.
Can a covered employee use more than three days or 24 hours of leave if they or a family member for whom they are providing care receive more than one vaccine or vaccine boosters over the period the law is in effect?
Yes, the limitation applies to each vaccine or vaccine booster that the employee or their family member receives. For example, if a full-time covered employee received a vaccine booster the employee can use up to three days or 24 hours of leave from the 40 hours of leave that is available for this use. If the covered employee’s child then has a vaccine appointment and the covered employee has not used leave from this bank for another allowed use, the employee has 16 hours of leave left that can be used for obtaining the vaccine for the child and for time needed to care for the child if any side effects require such care.