REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JERRY P. DYER, Mayor
Office of Mayor & City Manager
BY: GREGORY A. BARFIELD, Assistant City Manger
Office of Mayor & City Manager
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to COVID-19 emergency:
1. WORKSHOP - Discussion of Emergency Order (EO) 2021-02 (Modified COVID-19 Emergency Order); EO 2020-09 (Employee COVID-19 Self-Screening); EO 2020-10 (Employee Leave Pay); EO 2020-15 (Telework by City Employees)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
The Mayor is recommending the termination of the local emergency related to COVID-19 and moving to a more long term endemic strategy that addresses Cal-OHSA, California Department of Public Health and local guidance regarding ensuring the ongoing safety of our employees and the residents of the city based on improving conditions. The emergency proclamation with an Administrative Order on COVID-19
This Workshop will allow for the for the entire Council to hear the status of the pandemic and allow for discussion on the Administrative Order as well as Council’s Emergency Resolutions and Emergency Ordinances.
The Administration intends to return with the proposed ordinance at the April 28, 2022 City Council meeting for adoption.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
After two years of living under a local emergency order as well as state and national emergency orders, our city has spent millions of dollars on testing, masks, sanitization, cleaning supplies, plexiglass, and technology to allow for remote working in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mayor now is recommending the termination of the local emergency order based on better conditions in local case counts, hospitalizations of COVID positive persons including those needing ICU bed space and the development of three vaccines to help slow the rates of death from COVID-19.
Lifting the local Emergency Proclamation will eliminate all active Emergency Orders including EO 2021-02 (Modified COVID-19 Emergency Order); EO 2020-09 (Employee COVID-19 Self-Screening); EO 2020-10 (Employee Leave Pay); EO 2020-15 (Telework by City Employees). Activities covered under these Emergency Orders can now be replaced with Administrative Orders (AOs) on COVID-19 that will provide for the necessary processes to protect our employees.
The AOs will provide instruction to City employees on a number of items, including: completion of daily self-screening; contract tracing, reporting of COVID positive cases by location, isolation of those with symptoms or close contact; suspension of the weekly testing for unvaccinated employees; masking on Public Transit and inside Airports; weekly fogging and encouragement of daily sanitizing of all city facilities, offices, vehicles and buses; a strong recommendation to wear a mask inside city facilities and vehicles; encouragement of virtual meetings when possible; and encouragement to avoid social gatherings such as potlucks and office celebrations with shared food to comply with CAL-OHSA, California Department of Health and local Fresno County Department of Public Health guidance.
If needed, the AO is flexible enough to allow for the tightening of restrictions to address future surges in cases and increased transmission of the virus to ensure the safety of employees and the community we serve and live in.
The Administration intends to return with the proposed ordinance at the April 28, 2022 City Council meeting for adoption.
BACKGROUND
Since mid-March of 2020 when the world shut down, the City of Fresno saw the closing of many businesses, all schools, gyms, restaurants, barbershops, entertainment, and sporting events. The entire country, including the State of California and the City of Fresno saw an evolution of large venues being used as testing sites and many deaths worldwide before the development of a vaccine in late 2020.
To combat COVID-19, the City of Fresno spent millions of dollars on testing, masks, sanitization, cleaning supplies, plexiglass, and technology to allow for remote working. Three vaccines have been developed to better help protect those from death from COVID-19.
In 2021 three vaccines were developed and approved for emergency use: Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson. Large testing sites were transitioned into vaccination sites to slow the death rate from COVID-19. We have seen the virus mutate and were introduced to various variants of that caused summer and winter spikes in the number of cases which resulted in spikes in deaths, most recently among unvaccinated persons.
The beginning of 2022 showed very high case numbers because of the Omicron variant but in recent weeks a steep drop in cases, reductions in hospitalizations and reductions in regulatory requirements has allowed us to return to a more normal life living with COVID-19. The Administration recommends that the local Emergency Proclamation be terminated and that the City should transition to a more long-term endemic strategy to address Cal-OHSA, California Department of Public Health and local requirements to ensure the ongoing safety of our employees and the residents of the city.
Lifting the local Emergency Proclamation will eliminate all active Emergency Orders, including Emergency Order (EO) 2021-02 (Modified COVID-19 Emergency Order); EO 2020-09 (Employee COVID-19 Self-Screening); EO 2020-10 (Employee Leave Pay); and EO 2020-15 (Telework by City Employees) can now be replaced with Administrative Orders (AOs) that will provide for the necessary processes to protect our employees.
The AOs will provide instruction to City employees on a number of items, including: completion of daily self-screening; contract tracing, reporting of COVID positive cases by location, isolation of those with symptoms or close contact; suspension of the weekly testing for unvaccinated employees; masking on Public Transit and inside Airports; weekly fogging and encouragement of daily sanitizing of all city facilities, offices, vehicles and buses; a strong recommendation to wear a mask inside city facilities and vehicles; encouragement of virtual meetings when possible; and encouragement to avoid social gatherings such as potlucks and office celebrations with shared food to comply with CAL-OHSA, California Department of Health and local Fresno County Department of Public Health guidance.
If needed, the AO is flexible enough to allow for the tightening of restrictions to address future surges in cases and increased transmission of the virus to ensure the safety of employees and the community we serve and live in.
The Administration intends to return with the proposed ordinance at the April 28, 2022 City Council meeting for adoption.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a project subject to CQEA.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not applicable
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact on our General Fund
Attachments:
Proposed Proclamation declaring term of local emergency related to Covid-19
Proposed Resolution - Confirming Term of Local Emergency Related to Covid-19