GSBE Business Update 04/17/2020
Governor Newsom Outlines Six Critical Indicators the State will Consider Before Modifying the Stay-at-Home Order
Newsom unveiled six key indicators that will guide California’s thinking for when and how to modify the stay-at-home and other orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
California’s six indicators for modifying the stay-at-home order are:
- The ability to monitor and protect our communities through testing, contact tracing, isolating, and supporting those who are positive or exposed;
- The ability to prevent infection in people who are at risk for more severe COVID-19;
- The ability of the hospital and health systems to handle surges;
- The ability to develop therapeutics to meet the demand;
- The ability for businesses, schools, and child care facilities to support physical distancing; and
- The ability to determine when to reinstitute certain measures, such as the stay-at-home orders, if necessary.
The Governor said there is not a precise timeline for modifying the stay-at-home order, but that these six indicators will serve as the framework for making that decision. Newsom has issued 29 executive orders since March – you can see the list here.
Governor Appoints New DIR Director
Governor Newsom picked a new Director at Department of Industrial Relations. Katrina “Katie” S. Hagen has been in State service since 2006; served as chief deputy director at the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration since 2017. She was deputy director of operations at the California Department of Human Resources from 2015 to 2017 and chief of human resources at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System from 2011 to 2015. Hagen was adjunct faculty at the University of San Francisco from 2000 to 2011, deputy director at California Correctional Healthcare Services from 2006 to 2011 and assistant deputy director at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2002 to 2006. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of San Francisco.
OSHA Issues COVID-19 Interim Enforcement Response Plan
Continuing its recent trend to update employers on COVID-19 safety, on April 13, 2020, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an Interim Enforcement Response Plan for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), providing specific guidance to all OSHA Regional Administrators and State Plan Designees on how to investigate potential COVID-19 hazards. The guidance addresses how OSHA offices should allocate resources for protecting workers across all industries. Here Cal/OSHA has a plethora of resources on their COVID-19 page.