COVID-19 protocol in the workplace was the main point of discussion Tuesday during a Q&A-based webinar between Clay Horton and Candance Brake. Questions were submitted by businesses in the community as the number of cases continues to escalate.
Brake, President and CEO of the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, asked questions covering topics such as when to get a test, when to wear a mask in the workplace, and how long to quarantine before returning to work.
Horton, Director of the Green River District Health Department, fielded the questions after briefly addressing the current COVID-19 impact in Daviess County generally.
“In terms of cases and spread in our community, things have been really escalating here the last probably two months, and we are at a critical point,” he said. “I feel like I’ve said we’re at a critical point a lot of times over the course of the pandemic, but that’s more true today than it ever has been.”
Based on data from the CDC and other researchers, Horton said the Health Department thinks they confirm probably between 10-20% of the actual cases. So in Daviess County where there have been a little more than 3,000 confirmed cases to date, Horton estimated the actual number of cases could be between 15,000-30,000.
“A lot of people don’t even know they’re sick,” Horton said. “A lot of people get over it on their own and never seek care or get tested and so what we see in terms of our surveillance is the tip of the iceberg.”
Horton said they are recommending everyone follow the latest statewide restrictions that include no indoor dining, asking office-based businesses and gyms to go down to 33% within the building and keep masks on, eliminating informal gatherings or limiting them to two households and eight total people, and requiring schools to suspend in-person instruction.
He also said isolation after testing positive and quartining after an exposure are two of the most important aspects of limiting transmission.
Some of the questions asked during the webinar are listed below, followed by the time they appear in the video. The full video can be viewed below.
- If somebody feels like they’ve been exposed to the virus, how soon do they need to get tested and how can they feel that it’s an accurate test? (7:46)
- If an employee’s spouse tests positive, what’s the protocol for the employee to return to work? (9:30)
- Is an employer required to compensate that employee that has to stay home for that length of time? (10:45)
- At what point should you tell an individual not to be at work if they have been exposed to someone who tested positive? (11:35)
- You find out that someone in your workplace is having symptoms and the employer asks them to go get a test. Where is the best place for employers to recommend for employees to go be tested? (12:10)
- With regard to Owensboro Health and Health Department testing, is that by schedule or can you just show up? (13:32)
- What are the testing fees? (14:19)
- If you are symptomatic and you don’t have any taste or smell, can you still receive a negative test result? (15:50)
- *… does the employer have to pay the employees during quarantine? (16:40)
*The full question cannot be heard due to an interruption in the video feed. - Say that you have an employer that gets a positive result for one of the employees. What does that employer do for the rest of the workforce that they have? (17:15)
- The 6 feet for more than 15 minutes — does that mean mask or unmasked? (18:00)
- Are you allowed to provide catering for indoor events that are less than 25 people per room? (21:15)
- General discussion of wearing masks in the workplace. (22:20 and again at 30:20)
- Do you provide different guidelines for health care providers? (24:39)
- If an employee feels like their workplace isn’t safe, what should they do? (25:35)
- What should individuals do when they see a situation that makes them feel like the rules aren’t being followed? (26:45)
- How are children being tested? (28:42)
- Is it safe for children under the age of 2 to not wear a mask? (28:36)
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