City Employee COVID-19

EMPLOYEE TEMPORARY NOTICE FROM THE CITY MANAGER

Effective January 12, 2022, Updated January 14, 2022

The City of Winona has been and will continue to evaluate events and guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. Our efforts will be to limit the spread of the virus among staff while continuing to provide necessary services to the community. The City has adopted practices and procedures to protect the health and safety of employees.

This Temporary Employee Notice supplements existing employment policies, rules, procedures, and regulations to allow employees to return to work safely. All current employment policies, rules, procedures, and regulations remain in full effect, except for instances where this notice directly contradicts another current policy, rule, procedure, or regulation in which case this notice supersedes existing policy, rule, procedure, or regulation. 

This Temporary Employee Notice will be effective January 12, 2022, and continue through March 31, 2022, unless otherwise extended by City administration. The City reserves the right to modify or rescind this notice at any time. 

Each employee is responsible for their own health and individual actions that in turn impact the health of their co-workers. The City will work with individual employees to provide a work arrangement that is mutually beneficial for the City and the employee when possible.

The City will coordinate personal leave benefits including the use of paid leave as appropriate. Employees may contact Human Resources for additional clarification to address unique situations.

CITY OF WINONA COVID-19 MANDATORY PROOF OF VACCINATION, TESTING AND FACE COVERING POLICY (Policy)

Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MNOSHA) has issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to be effective January 10, 2022. The City has created a Policy available for viewing by using the link “City Employee COVID19” on the bottom of City Website homepage under Quick Links. All employees are subject to the rules of this policy and will be required to provide proof of vaccination by January 22, 2022 or consent to weekly testing beginning February 9, 2022.

This Policy is specifically for compliance with the OSHA ETS and does not replace additional notices, memorandums, guidance, plans, and directives.

SITUATIONAL GUIDANCE

City of Winona Situational Guidance is specific for City of Winona employees. This information was created based on the most current MDH and CDC COVID-19 guidance. The City reserves the right to enforce stronger guidance than is established by MDH and/or CDC if it deems doing so is necessary to ensure the health and safety of its employees.

The City may require written authorization from a medical provider for a health-related absence. 

FACE COVERING (Masks)

Face coverings are required to be worn by all employees:

• Inside City buildings and LEC when more than one person is present including: meeting rooms, offices, break rooms, common areas, and restrooms;
• When riding in a vehicle with another person; and
• When entering homes for service.

 Face coverings are recommended when:

• A physical distance of six feet from another person cannot be maintained outside.

Proper Face Covering Guidelines

A face covering must:

• Completely cover the nose and mouth; 
• Be made with two or more layers of a breathable fabric that is tightly woven (i.e., fabrics that do not let light pass through when held up to a light source); 
  1. If gaiters are worn, they should have two layers of fabric or be folded to make two layers;
• Be secured to the head with ties, ear loops, or elastic bands that go behind the head; 
• Fits snugly over the nose, mouth, and chin with no large gaps on the outside of the face; and 
• Be a solid piece of material without slits, exhalation valves, visible holes, punctures, or other openings. 

This definition includes clear face coverings or cloth face coverings with a clear plastic panel that, despite the non-cloth material allowing light to pass through, otherwise meet this definition and which may be used to facilitate communication with people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing or others who need to see a speaker's mouth or facial expressions to understand speech or sign language respectively.

ADDITIONAL SAFETY GUIDANCE

The City has established a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. The City Manager, department heads and supervisors may also implement additional guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19 within the department. These additional requests may be for the duration of this notice or periodic.

HEALTH ALERT FORM

The is the best way to report a COVID positive test result is to use the Health Alert form. The alert will automatically be sent to HR and Safety personnel. HR or Safety will contact you to discuss a safe return to work plan. Please contact Human Resources with questions regarding your situation.

In addition to keeping HR and Safety informed, the employee should also continue to stay in regular contact with their supervisor or designee. If the employee is unable to communicate, the employee’s designated representative should maintain communication with Human Resources.

City Employee Situational Guidance

Below is the City Situational Guidance policy related to COVID-19. Discipline will be implemented for flagrant disregard of this guidance, other City notices, memorandums, guidance, plans, directives, and the like, or knowingly placing oneself or others at risk of contracting the Coronavirus through disregard for personal protection practices or other specific department directives designed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Express consent must be obtained for any deviation directed by the City Manager or Department Head.

This guidance may change based on CDC and MDH recommendations. Additional guidance may be implemented in emergency staffing situations for critical services of finance, fire, police, street, water, and wastewater with approval from the Department Head and City Manager.

HR May request a copy of test results or additional medical information needed to asses return to work.

Exposed is:

• Experienced a known close contact with someone who has tested positive with COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more in the previous 24-hour period from last contact.

Close Contact is: 

• in an enclosed room with or without the door open regardless of distance; or
• within six feet of another person outside; or
• in a vehicle; and
• unmasked, improperly wearing a mask, or not wearing a proper mask. (See definition of face covering in Employee Temporary Notice and Proof of Vaccination, Testing, and Face Covering Policy.)

At All Times:

If an employee returns to work on day six following a COVID positive test, the employee must wear a mask at all times, no exceptions, while working through day 10. This includes:

• Working in an office alone.
• Being in a vehicle alone. Vehicle must also be sanitized at the end of the shift.
• No lunch breaks or eating with other employees.

Employees not in compliance will be removed from the worksite. An alternative to this strict masking guidance is to continue remote work or personal paid leave through day 10. 

Counting Days:

Days are counted from date of of test. Test date is day 0, next day is day 1. I.e. test taken on Saturday means day 5 is Thursday.

HEALTH ALERT FORM

The best way to report a COVID positive test result is to use the Health Alert form. The alert will automatically be sent to HR and Safety personnel. HR or Safety will contact you to discuss a safe return to work plan. Please contact Human Resources with questions regarding your situation.

In addition to keeping HR and Safety informed, the employee should also continue to stay in regular contact with their supervisor or designee. If the employee is unable to communicate, the employee’s designated representative should maintain communication with Human Resources.

Use this form to submit your documents securely to HR.

1. Click the link below to enter the secure submission website
   Online Form Submission
2. Enter required fields then click “Continue”
3. Drag your file into the box or browse to where you stored the form on your device.
4. Click “Upload”
5. DONE!
6. You will receive a confirmation email.

Free At Home Rapid Antigen COVID-19 Tests:

• Are not the same as a lab PCR test
• Can be taken anywhere
• Give results within 30 minutes (no lab drop-off required)
• Work whether or not you have COVID-⁠19 symptoms
• Work whether or not you are up to date on your COVID-⁠19 vaccines
• Are also referred to as self-tests or over-the-counter (OTC) tests

Use this option to plan ahead

Every home in the U.S. can order four (4) free at-home rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits per address. Visit COVIDtests.gov to order your free test kits.  Orders will be shipped for free usually in 7-12 days.

Use this option if you need a test right away

To receive a test kit at no cost, go to a store with a pharmacy and bring the test kit to the pharmacy counter (not the front register). Show your personal medical insurance ID card for the pharmacy to process the payment. Beginning Saturday, January 15, 2022 and continuing through the end of the COVID-19 federal public health emergency, personal medical insurance will cover the cost of up to eight (8) at-home rapid COVID-19 tests without a prescription or clinical assessment every 30 calendar days.