California COVID-19 Updates

Governor Gavin Newsom announced a series of initiatives building on the state’s work to vaccinate California’s hard-to-reach communities against COVID-19, address vaccine hesitancy and drive innovative efforts in the communities hardest hit by the pandemic. New efforts focus on direct appointment assistance; community outreach including neighborhood canvassing, phone banking and text banking; at-home vaccinations and transportation services; and an additional $33 million in funding, bringing the total to $85.7 million, to support community-based organizations.

In addition, building on the bipartisan work done during the “Wear A Mask” campaign, California Governors Gavin Newsom, Jerry Brown, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pete Wilson have come together to encourage all Californians to get vaccinated. The PSA was created and produced by ATTN and can be viewed here.

About 60% of eligible Californians have received at least one dose and as of April 15, anyone age 16 and up is eligible to receive the vaccine. As the number of unvaccinated Californians narrows, the state’s robust vaccine performance management system has helped determine where to focus efforts.

To bolster vaccine access in hard-to-reach communities, the state is moving away from mass vaccination sites and toward more targeted outreach with small clinics in communities with the highest disease burden. This move will make it easier for people to access vaccines. Mobile sites will continue to operate in partnership with places of worship throughout the state, as well as in coordination with businesses, school districts and local health departments where vaccination efforts are already underway.

Click here to watch a recap of California’s work to equitably distribute COVID-19 vaccines across the state.

These new initiatives build on the state’s Vaccine Equity Metric (PDF) (VEM) that started in early March to send double the amount of doses to those communities facing the highest disease burden, defined as those ZIP codes in the lowest quartile in the Healthy Places Index (HPI). Since the VEM went into effect, California has dedicated 40 percent of the state’s supply of doses to the lowest HPI quartile to improve equity in vaccinations.

Today, an estimated 53% of individuals in the lowest quartile still need COVID-19 vaccinations, while just 28% of individuals in the highest quartile remain unvaccinated. Since January, California has accelerated its pace of vaccination and now exceeds the national average.

The Governor announced seven new and enhanced equity strategies in the state’s vaccine rollout, including:

• More Transparency on Vaccination Progress – The state’s covid19.ca.gov website now displays data on California’s progress in vaccinating groups and communities with the most urgent need. Dashboards include statewide and county progress by the Vaccine Equity Metric (VEM) (PDF), race and ethnicity or age. A map displays ZIP-code-level data on vaccination progress within each VEM quartile. These dashboards will be updated weekly, on Wednesdays.
• ‘Get Out the Vaccine’ Phone Bank and Door-Knocking Campaign – Modeled after successful ground-level campaigns, a new state “Get Out the Vaccine” effort coordinates with 70 community-based organizations to employ callers and door-knockers to help Californians make a plan to get vaccinated. The program is in partnership with Healthy Future California and the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s STOP COVID CA initiative. About 2,000 individuals from targeted communities will be employed to make peer-to-peer appeals and provide support to help overcome barriers to vaccinations. The program, now underway, has already resulted in more than 4,900 appointments scheduled.
• Partnering with Philanthropic Organizations to Enhance Support for Community Organizations – Trusted messengers play a vital role in supporting the state’s equitable administration of vaccines. California is expanding its public-private partnerships to support community-based organizations (CBOs), bringing the total amount of funding to $85.7 million and aiding a total of 480 organizations to date. The state is expanding its partnership with the Public Health Institute (PHI) Together Toward Health initiative, created and funded through 18 major philanthropic organizations led by The California Endowment to stop the spread of COVID-19 and strengthen health and resilience in the state’s most impacted communities. This fund now totals $33.4 million and supports more than 323 organizations. Additional CBOs will be awarded grants on a rolling basis in the months to come. The state is also partnering with The Center at Sierra Health Foundation on a new $29 million “Vaccine Equity Campaign” fund that will invest in CBOs and faith-based organizations across the state. This new funding builds on $23.3 million awarded by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and Labor & Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) to support 157 organizations on multilingual outreach and public health education in communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. A subset of these organizations have helped facilitate approximately 111,000 vaccine appointments and 236,000 referrals to appointment platforms or providers. FAQs on the statewide network of community-based organizations can be found here (PDF).
• Grants to Support Vaccination Equity – Building off the previously announced awards for Los Angeles County and Bay Area counties, the state is now making available an additional $34.2 million in funding for underserved and high-risk communities throughout California’s other counties. This funding will be directed by local health jurisdictions to support back-end operations and expand vaccine distribution to enhance targeted outreach in communities and ZIP codes most impacted by COVID-19. Counties with a population over 1 million will receive $1.5 million for every 1 million people; those with populations between 500,000 and one million will be eligible for $650,000 in grant funding; and counties with populations under 500,000 will be eligible for $350,000 in funding to expand vaccination programs and achieve equity goals. In total, $56.8 million is now being provided to, or at the direction of, local health jurisdictions throughout all of California to support the state’s equity goals.
• Localized Plans for Promoting Equity in Vaccination – Along with statewide strategies, leaders of each of California’s 61 local health jurisdictions working in partnership with the state’s third-party administrator, Blue Shield of California, created and submitted plans to the state to promote vaccination equity in their communities. This includes a wide range of approaches, from small mobile vaccine clinics located in remote areas; to engaging micro influencers to impact specific groups or populations; to partnering with schools and faith-based partners for outreach, education and selection of trusted clinic sites.
• At-Home Vaccination program – Homebound residents can currently contact their health care providers for in-home vaccinations. These services are expanding statewide and individuals unable to leave their home to get vaccinated may also indicate as such via www.myturn.ca.gov or contact the state’s CA COVID-19 hotline at (833) 422-4255 to be connected with their local health jurisdiction to arrange for in-home vaccination services.
• Free Transportation to Vaccine Appointments – Individuals who do not have a means of transportation can receive free transportation through www.myturn.ca.gov or by contacting the state’s COVID-19 hotline at (833) 422-4255. Transportation includes automobile transportation for ambulatory patients and non-emergency medical transportation for non-ambulatory patients including wheelchair vans, gurney transportation and other options. Medi-Cal managed care and fee-for-service beneficiaries will be connected with their health plan or service provider to access this service as an existing health benefit.

Californians needing a vaccination can schedule an appointment at MyTurn.ca.gov or by calling the CA COVID-19 hotline at (833) 422-4255 (M-F 8 a.m.- 8 p.m., Sa-Sun 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) for assistance.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the state is joining forces with the California Fire Foundation to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by encouraging people to make a plan to get vaccinated. Firefighters have been on the front lines of the pandemic since day one, and they have seen firsthand the toll it has taken on our communities. They understand the critical role vaccines play in protecting our communities and ending the pandemic.

As part of the partnership, the California Fire Foundation produced two videos featuring the voices of firefighters discussing contracting COVID-19 and seeing the harm caused by the deadly virus in our communities. They share their reasons for choosing to get vaccinated. The videos will run as social media ads across CDPH’s YouTube, Instagram and Facebook pages through June 30.

Many firefighters and first responders were personally impacted by COVID-19 and understand the debilitating effects the virus can have on a person’s life. As trusted members of our communities, firefighters can encourage all Californians to protect themselves and others by getting vaccinated.

Heroism and selflessness are always central to the role of being a first responder, but the virus introduced never-before-seen hazards for firefighters and other first-line professionals.

California’s firefighters have an ongoing partnership with the state to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the California Fire Foundation and California Professional Firefighters worked with the state to create two videos reminding Californians of the steps they can take to prevent COVID-19. View both videos on YouTube: We Wear a Mask for You. On the Front Lines for All of Us.

The California Fire Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that provides emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters, firefighters and the communities they protect. Formed in 1987 by California Professional Firefighters, the California Fire Foundation’s mandate includes an array of survivor and victim assistance projects and community initiatives.

Learn more information about the vaccines and where to go to get vaccinated at VaccinateALL58.com.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will give small businesses hit hardest by this pandemic a $6.2 billion tax cut over the next six years – a critical lifeline that will help get our small businesses back on their feet and an important component of California’s economic recovery strategy.

Under the legislation, AB 80 by Assemblymember Autumn Burke (D-Inglewood), the forgiven PPP loans that businesses received from the federal government during the pandemic will not be counted as taxable income, and these businesses can also deduct the costs of expenses that those loans paid for. This is additional state tax relief for the small businesses that have been struggling most, and may very well make a difference in their choosing to reopen, stay open, or shut down as they look to the future.

The Governor signed the legislation in San Fernando after meeting with local business owners that have utilized federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to keep operating during the pandemic.

Governor Newsom signs $6.2 billion tax cut for small businesses, visits local shops with Danny Trejo

California small businesses are drivers of economic growth – creating two-thirds of new jobs and employing nearly half of all private sector employees. California is home to 4.1 million small businesses, representing over 99 percent of all businesses in the state and employing nearly half of the state’s total workforce.

This new tax relief is in addition to the support that Governor Newsom has already provided for small businesses and workers throughout the pandemic. In February, the Governor signed into law a comprehensive package of immediate actions that sped up much-needed relief to businesses suffering the most significant economic hardship due to COVID-19 – a package that provided $2.5 billion in grants worth up to $25,000 each for small businesses across California, more than half of which have gone to minority and underserved businesses.

For the full text of the bill, visit: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

With expanded eligibility and 50% of Californians age 16 and older now having at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Governor Gavin Newsom announced partnerships with nearly 200 faith-based organizations to expand the state’s vaccine outreach and equity efforts. The Administration is leading an effort to provide at least 25,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to pop-up clinics at these locations in the hardest-hit areas of the state, recognizing the important role places of worship have in helping to address their members’ COVID-19 vaccine concerns and providing educational resources. Combined with the doses that have been administered through mobile clinics, the total number of doses administered to places of worship to date is more than 38,000.

Over 24 million doses have been administered in California, with 5 million doses administered in the hardest hit communities. The Governor’s initiative builds on work by the Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to help administer more than 13,500 doses across 15 mobile clinics at churches in Los Angeles and Oakland, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This is in addition to the work being done by local health jurisdictions to set up vaccination clinics at these sites.

To date, 13 pop-up clinics at places of worship have operated in April in the Inland Empire, San Diego, Bay Area, Central Valley and Los Angeles. Additional sites are planned for the rest of the month.

Several pop-up clinics have received funding through the Together Toward Health Initiative, a $29.4 million public-private partnership with Public Health Institute. The partnership has supported more than 180 local, community-rooted organizations across California whose members serve as trusted experts for COVID-19 education, testing and vaccination access in their communities.

In addition, as part of the broader COVID-19 harm mitigation campaign, the state is engaging in community specific faith-based initiatives to reach Black, Asian American and Pacific Islander and Latino communities of faith respectively. All efforts will reach nearly 200 places of worship throughout the state with critical information on COVID-19 vaccines. Outreach will happen through webinars, faith leader testimonials, townhalls, email blasts and other engagement to build confidence in vaccines and mobilize Californians to get vaccinated.

All Californians aged 16 and up are now eligible for vaccination. Residents can visit MyTurn.ca.gov or VaccinateALL58.com, or call (833) 422-4255 to sign up for notifications and schedule an appointment if eligible.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he has signed legislation to create a statewide policy for the rehiring of workers laid-off by the pandemic, bolstering the state’s efforts to ensure an equitable recovery from the pandemic.

SB 93 requires employers in the hospitality and business services industries, including hotels, airports and large event centers, to offer new positions to qualified former employees laid off due to COVID-19 within five business days, through 2024.

The bill is the result of continued conversations with the Legislature to advance the goals of last year’s AB 3216.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he has signed legislation to create a statewide policy for the rehiring of workers laid-off by the pandemic, bolstering the state’s efforts to ensure an equitable recovery from the pandemic.

SB 93 requires employers in the hospitality and business services industries, including hotels, airports and large event centers, to offer new positions to qualified former employees laid off due to COVID-19 within five business days, through 2024.

The bill is the result of continued conversations with the Legislature to advance the goals of last year’s AB 3216.

Governor Newsom also announced that he has signed the following bill today:

• SB 86 by the Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review – Public social services.

For full text of the bills, visit: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

As announced by Governor Gavin Newsom last month, all Californians aged 16 and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations starting April 15. This expansion of eligibility comes as the state reaches major milestones in its vaccine rollout: nearly half of all residents in the 16 and older population have already received at least one dose, including 73.9 percent of seniors aged 65 and older.

California expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to individuals aged 50+ starting April 1. Over 24 million doses have been administered in California, with 4.9 million doses administered in the hardest hit communities. The statewide provider network now has the capacity to administer up to 6 million vaccine doses a week, according to its third-party administrator Blue Shield of California. California is allocating COVID-19 vaccines to ensure equitable distribution. Currently, the state is directing 40 percent of vaccine doses to the hardest-hit areas of the state based on the lowest quartile of the Public Health Alliance of Southern California’s Healthy Places Index (HPI).

California’s eligibility expansion meets a nationwide deadline set by President Joe Biden that all adults in the U.S. be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by April 19.

Individuals seeking an opportunity to get vaccinated may still need to wait for an appointment. Eligible residents can visit MyTurn.ca.gov (available in 12 languages) to find and schedule available appointments or call the COVID-19 hotline at (833) 422-4255 (assistance available in 250+ languages).

All COVID-19 vaccines are free regardless of immigration or health insurance status. Residents with questions about the vaccines can visit VaccinateALL58.com to learn more.

Following through on his commitment to ensure vaccines continue to be administered at large-scale vaccination sites in Oakland and Los Angeles, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state has reached an agreement with Alameda County and Contra Costa County to continue to operate the RingCentral Coliseum vaccination site.

Under the agreement announced today, the two county governments will enter into a unified management of the site along with the state. Personnel and equipment currently being utilized at the Oakland site will remain in place to provide vaccinations for the next four weeks.

The state will provide an allotment of half of the weekly vaccines for the site through the third party administrator while the remaining half will come from the partner counties. The site is expected to deliver up to 6,000 vaccines per day.

Two joint federal pilot sites have helped expand the rate of vaccinations in California in an efficient, effective and equitable manner since they were launched in February.

As of April 5, Cal OES and FEMA have given nearly 625,000 vaccines across both sites, with nearly 90,000 of those vaccines administered at targeted mobile clinics within the community. Of these vaccines, nearly 68 percent were administered to targeted underserved communities and people of color.

The Oakland site will also continue to have an explicit focus on equity and provide targeted support to some of the most diverse and socioeconomically challenged communities in the country.

Vaccine appointments will continue to be made through visiting the state’s MyTurn.ca.gov website or by calling 833-422-4255. Members of the public may check their eligibility for vaccination, sign up for notifications and schedule appointments in select areas through the site.

As California surpasses a major milestone in the fight against COVID — administering more than 20 million vaccine doses, including 4 million in the state’s hardest-hit communities, and with hospitalizations continuing to steadily decline — Governor Gavin Newsom outlined the state’s next step in the COVID-19 pandemic recovery, moving beyond the Blueprint for a Safer Economy.

On June 15, California will fully open its economy if two criteria are met:

• If vaccine supply is sufficient for Californians 16 years and older who wish to be inoculated; and
• If hospitalization rates are stable and low

Everyday activities will be allowed and businesses can open with common-sense risk reduction measures, including encouraging all Californians to get vaccinated and mandating masking, to prevent illness and promote health. The state will continue contact tracing and testing to detect cases early and contain spread of the virus. The entire state will move into this new phase as a whole. The state will monitor hospitalization rates, vaccine access and vaccine efficacy against variants, with the option to revisit the June 15 date if needed.

When California fully reopens the economy, the Blueprint for a Safer Economy will end. However, common-sense health measures such as masking will remain across the state. Testing or vaccination verification requirements will remain in relevant settings.

For more information on the state’s move beyond the Blueprint, click here. 

All sectors listed in the current Blueprint for a Safer Economy grid may return to usual operations in compliance with Cal/OSHA requirements and with common-sense public health policies in place, such as required masking, testing and with vaccinations encouraged. Large-scale indoor events, such as conventions, will be allowed to occur with testing or vaccination verification requirements.  

California is able to reopen fully and safely because of our commitment to the equitable distribution of vaccines. Today, the state reached a total of 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered to Californians in some of the state’s hardest-hit communities, less than a month after delivering 2 million doses to these communities. The state, in partnership with local government, health care providers and community-based organizations, will continue its extensive efforts to get eligible Californians vaccinated, including its support of expanded hours and access through community clinics and providers, public education campaign, and support for community-based strategies such as canvassing. Equity continues to be the focus of our vaccine efforts, especially as we prepare to fully reopen.

On March 4, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state had set aside 40 percent of vaccine doses for the hardest-hit communities and established an equity metric to increase vaccinations in those communities. Doing so recognizes that the pandemic did not affect California communities equally. Forty percent of COVID cases and deaths have occurred in the lowest quartile of the Healthy Places Index (HPI), which provides overall scores and data that predict life expectancy and compares community conditions that shape health across the state.

California continues to plan for the vaccination of Californians under 16 years of age, protection against new variants and continued tracking and containment of spread. The state stands ready to mobilize additional resources if there is an increase in cases.

With supply of vaccines expected to significantly increase in the coming weeks, the state is expanding vaccine eligibility to more Californians. Starting April 1, individuals aged 50+ will be eligible to make an appointment, and individuals 16+ will be eligible to make an appointment to be vaccinated starting on April 15.

Based on the current estimates, California expects to be allocated approximately 2.5 million first and second doses per week in the first half of April, and more than 3 million doses in the second half of April. California currently receives about 1.8 million doses per week. These estimates may be adjusted as time goes on. The state has the capacity to administer more than 3 million vaccines per week, and is building the capacity to administer 4 million vaccines weekly by the end of April.

In addition to increased allocations of vaccines to providers serving the hardest hit communities, the state has embarked on a series of initiatives to vaccinate those populations that have faced the highest rates of COVID infections before vaccines become available to the entire 16+ population. These efforts include:

• Provider funding for programs to reach and vaccinate communities facing the biggest health disparities
• Working with organized labor to reach essential workers
• Partnering with agricultural organizations and community-based organizations to vaccinate agricultural workers
• Allowing providers to target by ZIP code via My Turn with single-use codes (scheduled to launch at the end of March)
• Supporting a subset of community-based organizations currently partnering with the state on COVID-19 education to provide direct vaccination appointment assistance
• Prioritizing currently eligible populations and allowing providers the discretion to vaccinate those who live in high-impact areas (County Healthy Places Index Quartiles 1 and 2), including families

Even with expanded vaccine supplies, it is expected to take several months for willing Californians to be vaccinated. Based on public information shared by vaccine manufacturers and the federal government, California expects to receive several million vaccine doses per week starting sometime in April.

Along with the expanded eligibility and to align with upcoming federal guidance, California will update its vaccine allocation methodology. This will transition over four weeks, beginning with the March 22 allocation (delivered to providers the following week), from one based on the distribution of the 65+ population, workers in the agriculture and food, education and child care, and emergency services sectors to one based on the distribution of the 16+ population across California. This will be done in conjunction with completion of the shift to the state directly allocating vaccines to providers. The state will continue to double the amount of vaccine allocated to the lowest Healthy Places Index (HPI) quartile as announced on March 4.

Forty percent of COVID-19 cases and deaths have occurred in the lowest quartile of the HPI, developed by the Public Health Alliance of Southern California, which provides overall scores and data that predict life expectancy and compares community conditions that shape health across the state. The rate of infections for households making less than $40,000 per year (5.7) is 84 percent higher than that of households with an income of $120,000 or more (3.1). At the same time, California’s wealthiest populations have received 50 percent more vaccinations when compared to the rate of our most vulnerable populations. This approach recognizes that the pandemic did not affect California communities equally and that the state is committed to doing better.

Building on the state’s action to expand paid sick days protections for California’s workforce during the pandemic, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed SB 95, legislation to ensure access to up to 80 hours of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave for eligible employees, including those advised to quarantine or isolate and those caring for COVID-impacted family members.

SB 95 extends protections through September 30, 2021 and is retroactive to sick leave taken beginning January 1, 2021. Small businesses employing 25 or fewer workers are exempt from the legislation, but may offer supplemental paid sick leave and, if eligible, receive a federal tax credit.

California took early action to expand paid sick days to employees in the food sector, and later enacted paid sick days protections for every employee exposed to or positive for COVID-19. From the beginning of the pandemic, the Administration has taken action to protect and support California’s workforce, including expanding access to job-protected Paid Family Leave and workers’ compensation; more resources for critical child support services for essential employees and vulnerable populations; additional weekly unemployment benefits; and support for employees to isolate and quarantine outside their home. The Administration has also built a pipeline of personal protective equipment to help workers stay safe on the job and expanded testing and health plan reimbursement for the essential workforce.

For full text of the bill, visit: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

COVID-19 vaccination is one of the most important tools to end the COVID-19 pandemic. The State is prioritizing vaccines for equitable distribution to everyone in California.  It is expected that enough supplies to vaccinate most Californians will be available by summer 2021.

Number of phases: 4 (1a, 1b tier one, 1b tier two, 1c)

The phase that includes essential workers: Phase 1b tier two

Additional resources:

• https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/COVID-19Vaccine.aspx
• https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/

California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Biden-Harris Administration today announced the opening of the nation’s first community vaccination sites in Oakland and Los Angeles.

These pilot sites at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum and California State University, Los Angeles opened their gates at 9:00 a.m. this morning as part of the wider effort to establish a series of vaccination sites nationwide to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Registration for vaccine appointments at these two sites will be available through visiting the state’s My Turn website or by calling 833-422-4255.

Members of the public may check their eligibility for vaccination, sign up for notifications and schedule appointments in select areas through the My Turn website.

The sites are co-run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of California through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). FEMA and the Department of Defense are providing resources and federal staffing support to establish these new community vaccination centers as well as operational support.

The two locations chosen for these efforts are in some of the most diverse and socioeconomically challenged communities in the country. The goal of establishing these joint federal pilot sites is to continue to expand the rate of vaccinations in California in an efficient, effective and equitable manner, with an explicit focus on making sure that communities with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection are not left behind.

Also opening this week will be four mobile vaccination clinics – two paired with each vaccination site – which can be deployed to multiple locations within the community to amplify and provide distribution to areas that otherwise lack sufficient support.

The opening of these sites is additive to current vaccinations capacity in the state and does not affect existing allocation of vaccine supplies to other cities or counties.

These sites are in addition to substantial federal support for community vaccination centers across the state. On February 11, FEMA obligated $823 million to open 104 state-selected COVID-19 vaccination sites statewide. Funds will reimburse expenses for medical and support staff; personal protective equipment; facility costs and supplies; and community engagement efforts.

Community vaccination centers are part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s effort to ensure that all populations are being reached in the COVID-19 response. The Administration is also working to reach some of the nation’s hardest hit communities through pharmacies, community health centers and mobile clinics.

Employers considering layoffs or work reductions because of the coronavirus may wish to examine the EDD’s Work Sharing Program, which permits employers to reduce hours for employees, while providing wage replacement through Unemployment Insurance, without laying off workers or removing them from the payroll.

The EDD also offers tax assistance to employers affected by the coronavirus, including 60-day extensions to file state payroll reports or to deposit state payroll taxes without penalty or interest. For more information go here.

Unemployment Rules

• California’s Employment Development Division provides Pandemic Unemployment Assistance  as well as Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation.  Further information on the program can be found here.

Sick Leave Rules

• Effective Jan. 1, 2021, the Governor signed into law significant changes to the California Family Rights Act.  The new employer eligibility threshold has been expanded to apply to employers with five or more employees.  These employers must now provide eligible employees with up to 12 workweeks of unpaid protected leave during a 12-month period.
• CFRA now allows employees to take unpaid protected leave to care for a “family member” with a serious health condition. FMLA and the previous version of CFRA define “family member” as the employee’s parent, child, spouse, or domestic partner. SB 1383 significantly expands this definition to include siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren. In addition, “child” now covers all adult children (regardless of whether they are dependent) and children of a domestic partner.
• Details regarding the new requirements are detailed here.

California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Biden-Harris Administration announced a pilot project to establish community vaccination sites in Oakland and Los Angeles.

These pilot sites, which will be based at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum and California State University, Los Angeles, are part of the wider effort to establish 100 vaccination sites nationwide in the federal administration’s first 100 days. The sites will be co-run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State of California through the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

FEMA will provide resources and federal staffing support to establish these new community vaccination centers as well as operational support.

The two locations chosen for these efforts are in some of the most diverse and socioeconomically challenged communities in the country. They are also communities that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and are home to essential workers who have borne the brunt of keeping the economy open over the past year.

The goal of establishing these joint federal pilot sites is to continue to expand the rate of vaccinations in California in an efficient, effective and equitable manner, with an explicit focus on making sure that communities with a high risk of COVID-19 exposure and infection are not left behind.

In order to expand the reach of these state-federal sites further into the communities, each of these new sites will be paired with two mobile vaccination clinics which can be deployed to multiple locations to amplify and provide distribution to areas that otherwise lack sufficient support.

Preparations and buildout of these two locations are now underway and the sites are expected to be open to eligible members of the public beginning February 16. Registration for vaccine appointments at these two sites will be available through the state’s MyTurn scheduling system in the coming days.

The State of California is coordinating closely with FEMA to ensure the vaccine doses used at these sites will not decrease the available supply for other sites in the hosting counties.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced a series of improvements to the state’s vaccination plan. Incorporating lessons learned from efforts to increase the pace of vaccination, these new steps will make it easier for people to know when they are eligible for vaccination and how to make an appointment, accelerate the administration of vaccines on hand and improve the state’s ability to track vaccination data.

California has tripled the pace of vaccinations from 43,459 per day on January 4 to 131,620 on January 15. The ten-day effort to ramp up vaccinations exposed key improvements needed to administer even more vaccines when increased supply becomes available. Governor Newsom announced actions to address these challenges by simplifying the eligibility framework, standardizing vaccine information and data and ensuring the available supply of vaccine is administered as quickly as possible.

Moving forward, there will be a single statewide standard and movement through the tiers. The state will continue through 65+, health care workers, and prioritize emergency services, food and agriculture workers, teachers and school staff. From there, the state will transition to age-based eligibility, allowing California to scale up and down quickly, while ensuring vaccine goes to disproportionately impacted communities.

Leveraging California’s spirit of innovation and technology, the state is also launching My Turn, a new system for Californians to learn when they are eligible to be vaccinated and a place to make an appointment when eligible as well as a mechanism to easily track vaccination data. Through My Turn, individuals will be able to sign up for a notification when they are eligible to make an appointment and schedule one when it is their turn. Providers will be able to use My Turn to automatically share data on vaccines received and administered with the state, reducing lag times.

Technology from California companies Salesforce and Skedulo, and implementation by Accenture, are the foundation for My Turn. It is currently being piloted in Los Angeles and San Diego counties and is expected to be available statewide in early February. Based on recent learnings, the Governor has also directed his Administration’s vaccine team to move to a unified statewide network that aligns the health care system, providers and counties with the strengths of each part of the health care system and ensures equitable and efficient vaccine administration, with a focus on communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. This effort will be implemented in partnership with counties and local health districts. It will control variability and maintain consistency and accountability. The details of the system will be forthcoming this week.

To increase available supply based on existing in-state vaccines, the Department of Public Health announced a process that will allow for the reallocation of vaccines from providers who have not used at least 65 percent of their available supply on hand for a week and have not submitted a plan for administering the remaining vaccine to prioritized populations within four days of notice.

Increasing the vaccine supply is the state’s top priority for the federal government as California accelerates the pace of vaccination. To date, California has received more than 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, roughly enough for 2 million people at two doses each. California has 3 million health care workers and nursing home residents, 6 million people 65+, and 2.5 million Californians who work in education and child care, emergency services and food and agriculture.

In a January 19th letter to President Biden, the Governor named vaccines as California’s paramount priority with the Biden Administration. At the ramped-up pace, California vaccinates about 120,000 Californians a day and is on pace to deliver toward President Biden’s goal of 100 million vaccines in 100 days, if supply persists, and the Newsom Administration is committed to striving to vaccinate even more.

Beginning January 1, the new reporting requirements for COVID-19 exposures became effective. These new requirements impose obligations for employers to notify employers, as well as employers of subcontracted employees, of COVID-19 exposures and to notify public health officials of outbreaks in the workplace.  The new regulation also expands the authority of Cal/OSHA to close down a workplace, or part of a workplace, if the Agency determines that it is unsafe due to COVID-19.

When a workplace exposes workers to the risk of infection from COVID-19 that the Agency feels creates an imminent hazard, Cal/OSHA may prohibit entry or prohibit the operation or process.

• The prohibition must be limited to the immediate area where the hazard exists.
• The employer must post the notice provided by Cal/OSHA in a conspicuous location in the workplace, and the notice may only be removed by Cal/OSHA after a determination that the place of employment, operation, or process is safe.

If an employer receives notice of a potential exposure to an individual who was infected with COVID-19 or was subject to an order to isolate, the employer must take all the following actions within one business day of notice:

• The employer must provide written notice to all employees and contractors who were at the same worksite as the individual during the infectious period that they may have been exposed to COVID-19. “Worksite” includes the building, store, facility, agricultural field, or other location where the individual worked during the infectious period. “Worksite” does not include buildings, floors, or other locations of the employer that the individual did not enter.
• The notice must be given in the same manner that the employer usually communicates with employees regarding employment-related information (such as personal service, email or text) as long as the employer expects that the employees will receive the notice within one business day. The notice must be in English as well as any other language that the majority of the employees understand.
• The employer must provide all employees who may have been exposed with information regarding any COVID-19 benefits to which they may be entitled under federal, state and local laws, such as workers’ compensation or any leaves of absence, and must advise employees of their anti-retaliation and anti-discrimination protections.
• The employer must notify all employees of the disinfection and safety plan the employer intends to implement pursuant to CDC guidelines.

If the employer is notified of three of more laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 among employees who live within different households within a two-week period, the employer must notify its local public health agency within 48 hours of the name, phone number, occupation and worksite of the employees who have COVID-19.  The employer must also report the business address and NAICS code of the worksite and must include all other information required in a Cal/OSHA Form 300 incident report.  The employer must continue to give notice of any subsequent laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the worksite to the local health department. In addition, you must keep records of all the written notifications for three years.

Cal/OSHA does have the authority to issues a citation and a notice of monetary penalty for violations of these provisions.  Cal/OSHA may issue a citation for a “serious” violation (one which could cause death or serious physical harm) without giving employers the typical 15-day notice, although the employer has the right to appeal. For  more information,  see the previous posting on Cal/OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard regarding COVID-19 workplace safety standards.

If you have questions, please contact PRINTING United Alliance’s Government Affairs staff at govtaffairs@printing.org.

Governor Gavin Newsom previewed his Equitable Recovery for California’s Businesses and Jobs plan, the business and workforce recovery elements of his 2021-22 State Budget that will help California through the COVID-19 pandemic and advance an equitable, broad-based recovery.

Building on actions the state has taken to support California’s businesses throughout the pandemic, including emergency aid and regulatory relief, these proposals double down on the Newsom Administration’s commitment to rebuilding the economy, with investments across sectors and benefits for businesses of all sizes.

Notably, the Budget proposes an immediate action to approve $575 million more for California’s small businesses, the backbone of the state’s economy, as they work to adapt their operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This immediate action proposal is on top of the initial $500 million allocated in partnership with the Legislature to the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant, bringing the total for California’s small businesses to more than $1 billion.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to California. However, prudent fiscal management in the past and present has allowed California to provide ongoing support to impacted Californians where they need it most.

Building on supports for California businesses before, during and through the pandemic, the Governor today previewed the following budget proposals:

Small Business Grants

Prior to the pandemic, small businesses created two-thirds of new jobs and employed nearly half of all private-sector employees. California is home to 4.1 million small businesses that employ nearly half of the state’s total workforce. To help keep these businesses afloat, the Governor is proposing a total of $1.075 billion for the State’s Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program.

To put money into the hands of the most impacted small businesses as quickly as possible, the Governor has proposed immediate legislative action on $575 million in additional grants. The investment will add to the initial $500 million allocation announced in November. The Program offers grants up to $25,000 to micro and small businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic. These grants will be distributed across the state, with priority given to regions and industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, disadvantaged communities and underserved small business groups.

The $575 million Early Action Budget proposal includes $25 million for small cultural institutions, such as museums and art galleries, that have been constrained by the pandemic in their ability to educate the community and remain financially viable.

California Jobs Initiative

The Budget also proposes sustained investments to preserve California’s competitiveness. The California Jobs Initiative, a $777.5 million proposal, focuses on job creation and retention, regional development, small businesses and climate innovation, including increased funding for:

• California Competes Tax Credit (CalCompetes), which incentivizes businesses to locate in California to stay, grow and create quality full-time jobs in the state and creates a new CalCompetes grant program to support job creation and investments in infrastructure ($430 million)
• Extended Main Street Small Business Tax Credit to encourage hiring new employees and rehiring former employees ($100 million)
  • As of January 4, almost 9,000 taxpayers had reserved over $54 million of the existing credit
• Mitigating the SALT deduction limitation for S-corporation shareholders
• The California Dream Fund to seed entrepreneurship and small business creation in underserved communities ($35 million)
• Additional funds for the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank’s (IBank) Small Business Finance Center to provide small business loan and disaster loan guarantees ($50 million which will be leveraged to provide $250 million in loans) and for the California Rebuilding Fund ($50 million)
• Expanded sales tax exclusions through the Treasurer’s Office to reduce the cost of manufacturing equipment in order to promote innovation and meet the state’s climate goals ($100 million)

This funding also includes $12.5 million allocated, in partnership with the Legislature, in late 2020 to fully capitalize the California Rebuilding Fund to support $125 million low-interest loans to underserved businesses.

Workforce Development

The Budget proposes one-time and ongoing investments totaling $353 million to support California’s workers as they adapt to changes in the economy brought about by COVID-19. These investments lift up proven workforce development strategies like apprenticeship and High-Road Training Partnerships and encourage greater collaboration and coordination among California’s institutions of higher learning and local workforce partners. Demand-driven workforce programs can help California train the workforce of the future in key sectors including health care and technology. 

Fee Waivers

The Budget proposes $70.6 million for fee waivers to individuals and businesses most impacted by the pandemic – including barbers, cosmetologists, manicurists, bars and restaurants. These waivers will assist those who have not been able to operate or are operating at reduced capacity during the pandemic.

Deferred Maintenance

In recognition of the job-creating potential of infrastructure projects on state-owned properties, the Budget includes a $300 million one-time General Fund for the most critical statewide deferred maintenance, including greening of state infrastructure. This proposal will help create jobs in California while achieving our state’s climate goals. Projects include the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at state-owned facilities.

Housing

Through the Infill Infrastructure Grant (IIG) Program, this Budget proposes $500 million to create jobs and long-term housing development to unlock more than 7,500 new permanently affordable homes for Californians. IIG grants to local governments and developers bring the cost down for new housing by defraying costs for things like sewers, roads and site preparation, all while putting thousands of people to work in good jobs building this housing-related infrastructure. $250 million of these funds are proposed for early action.

Zero-Emission Vehicles and Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure

Building on California’s historic commitment to requiring sales of all new passenger vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035, this Budget proposes an additional $1.5 billion investment to accelerate our state’s progress toward these goals while creating jobs. The proposal will support jobs and economic growth and provide air quality benefits and support for low-income Californians to purchase cleaner vehicles. Funds will support purchases of clean trucks, buses and off-road freight equipment and Clean Cars 4 All programs. It will also support job-creating construction of electric charging and hydrogen fueling stations necessary to accelerate zero-emission vehicle adoption. The Budget proposal will leverage additional private sector capital to build the necessary infrastructure and create jobs to support California’s recovery.

These 2021-22 Budget proposals build on the Newsom Administration’s work to support California’s businesses and workers. Among many actions, the Administration waived the $800 minimum franchise tax – often a costly barrier for start-up businesses – for the first year of operation. The Administration in November also extended up to billions in immediate, temporary tax relief to businesses impacted by COVID-19 by extending deadlines for paying sales taxes for smaller businesses and expanding interest-free payment options for larger businesses particularly affected by significant restrictions on operations due to COVID-19.

Additionally, the Administration built and funded the Great Plates Delivered program, a first-in-the-nation program that partners with local businesses to deliver nutritious meals to older Californians and other adults at high risk from COVID-19, which has supported more than 9,000 jobs per week on average.

As the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrive in California, Governor Gavin Newsom launched “Vaccinate All 58”, California’s campaign for a safe, fair and equitable vaccine for all 58 counties in the state. The Governor joined Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, one of the first locations in the state to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, as first doses were administered. Across California, vaccines will be administered in phases by prioritizing groups according to risk and level of exposure. Initial doses will go to California’s essential health care workers and those among our most vulnerable in long-term care settings.

California is determining its distribution guidelines in an open and equitable fashion as initial vaccine supplies will be very limited. At first, vaccines will be provided to health care workers and those in long-term care settings in accordance with the CDPH Allocation Guidelines for COVID-19 Vaccine During Phase 1A. This is expected to be followed by essential workers and others at highest risk of becoming infected or severely ill with COVID-19.

To accomplish the twin principles of safety and equity, California drew upon the knowledge of many leaders and subject matter experts.

To review the COVID-19 vaccine for safety and efficacy, California formed a Scientific Safety Review Workgroup. Joined by Washington, Oregon and Nevada, the Workgroup is comprised of nationally acclaimed immunization and public health experts. The Workgroup worked concurrently and independently to review the FDA’s actions related to COVID-19 vaccinations. This past Sunday, the Workgroup confirmed the Pfizer vaccine is safe for public use. They will continue to evaluate other COVID-19 vaccines following federal review processes.

Two workgroups are working to ensure the vaccines are distributed equitably: a Drafting Guidelines Workgroup is developing California-specific guidance for the prioritization and allocation of vaccine when supplies are limited, and the Community Advisory Vaccine Committee is providing input and feedback on the planning efforts and resolving barriers to equitable vaccine implementation and decision-making.