COVID-19 Information For Employees

COVID-19 VACCINATION AND MASKING POLICY

On June 8, 2022, the Board of Trustees suspended mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for all Río Hondo College students and employees.

On September 14, 2022, the Board of Trustees suspended mandating indoor masking for all Río Hondo College students and employees, effective Saturday, October 1, 2022.

• Indoor masking – Highly recommended, not required.
• Outdoor masking – Highly recommended, not required.

COVID-19 ON CAMPUS TESTING FOR EMPLOYEES

Effective November 4, 2022, testing for employees will no longer be provided on campus. Visit the Los Angeles County website to find testing locations near you, including your local CVS: https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing/

COVID-19 UPDATED ORDERS

March 31, 2023 saw the end of countywide COVID-19 emergency declarations, and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has aligned county safety measures with federal and state COVID-19 guidance. Isolation and quarantine information can be found on the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) webpage. The Department of Industrial relations also has a helpful FAQ section. A summary of exclusion requirements for employees who test positive for COVID-19 and CDPH Guidance for close contacts is included below for your convenience.

Table 1: Exclusion Requirements for Employees Who Test Positive for COVID-19

Requirements apply to all employees, regardless of vaccination status, previous infection, or lack of symptoms.

Employees who test positive for COVID-19 must be excluded from the workplace for at least 5 days after start of symptoms or after date of first positive test if no symptoms. Isolation can end and employees may return to the workplace after day 5 if symptoms are not present or are mild and resolving; AND the employee is fever-free for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medication. If an employee has a fever, isolation must continue and the employee may not return to work until 24 hours after the fever resolves. If an employee’s symptoms other than fever are not improving, they may not return to work until their symptoms are resolving or until after day 10. Employees must wear face coverings around others for a total of 10 days. Please refer to the section in this FAQ on face coverings for additional face covering requirements.

Table 2: CDPH Guidance for Close Contacts

Asymptomatic Persons Who are Exposed to Someone with COVID-19 (No Quarantine)

Test within 3–5 days after last exposure. Close contacts should wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings and when near those at higher risk for severe COVID-19 disease. Strongly encouraged to get vaccinated or boosted. If symptoms develop, test, and stay home, AND If test result is positive, follow isolation recommendations above (Table 1).

 

As a reminder, many times, with the best of intentions, employees report or return to work even though they feel ill. Employees who report to work ill will be sent home in accordance with LACDPH guidelines. If you, or someone in your household, exhibits COVID-19 related symptoms, please notify HR Coordinator Stephanie Juanillo (sjuanillo@riohondo.edu) at the Office of Human Resources immediately. Your health and safety are our priority.