REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JERRY 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:
***RESOLUTION - Confirming the termination of the local emergency related to COVID-19 (Subject to Mayor’s Veto)
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 Center for Disease Control (CDC) 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
A Workshop was held last week that allowed for discussion with the entire Council to hear the status of the pandemic and the effects of terminating the local Emergency Proclamation and the effects of other actions taken by the city through ordinance, orders, and guidance.
During the workshop the discussion on turning up and down the dimmer as needed with any rise or drop in cases which will be accomplished using data such as number of employees testing positive for COVID, number of employees in isolation by department/function, number of COVID positive persons in ICU and COVID hospitalizations will continued to be used.
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 the active Emergency Order (EO) 2021-02 (Modified COVID-19 Emergency Order); which includes EO 2020-09 (Employee COVID-19 Self-Screening); EO 2020-10 (Employee Leave Pay); EO 2020-15 (Telework by City Employees) and shall be replaced with Administrative Orders on COVID-19 to govern employees.
The Administrative Orders on COVID-19 will continue to have employees to do a daily employee self-screening, provide for weekly fogging and encouragement of daily sanitizing of all city facilities, offices, vehicles and buses, strong recommendation to wear mask inside city facilities and vehicles, contract tracing, reporting of COVID positive cases by location, isolation of those with symptoms or close contact, suspension of the weekly testing for those employees unvaccinated, encouragement of Zoom meetings when possible, and encouragement against social gatherings including potlucks and office celebrations with shared food to comply with CDC, CAL-OHSA, California Department of Health and local Fresno County Department of Public Health guidance.
If needed, the Administrative Orders on COVID-19 will be 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.
This will be accomplished using data such as number of employees testing positive for COVID, number of employees in isolation by department / function, number of COVID positive persons in ICU and COVID hospitalizations will continued to be used.
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 four vaccines in late 2020 and early 2021.
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. Four vaccines have been developed to better help protect those from death from COVID-19.
In late 2020 and early 2021 four vaccines were developed and approved for emergency use: AstraZeneca, 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 Administrative Orders on COVID-19 will continue to have employees to do a daily employee self-screening, provide for weekly fogging and encouragement of daily sanitizing of all city facilities, offices, vehicles and buses, strong recommendation to wear mask inside city facilities and vehicles, contract tracing, reporting of COVID positive cases by location, isolation of those with symptoms or close contact, suspension of the weekly testing for those employees unvaccinated, encouragement of Zoom meetings when possible, and encouragement against social gatherings including potlucks and office celebrations with shared food to comply with CDC, CAL-OHSA, California Department of Health and local Fresno County Department of Public Health guidance.
If needed, the Administrative Orders on COVID-19 will be 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.
This will be accomplished using data such as number of employees testing positive for COVID, number of employees in isolation by department / function, number of COVID positive persons in ICU and COVID hospitalizations will continued to be used.
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: Resolution
Draft Administrative Order