Resources for Business Re-Opening

As of Saturday, June 25, 2022, Alameda County will lift the Local Masking Order and Re-Align with State Guidance.
Video announcement from Alameda County Health Officer Dr. Nicholas Moss.
Video announcement in Spanish from Health Care Services Agency Spokesperson Noemy Mena-Miles.

Revised Oakland Proof of Vaccination Requirements

On Tuesday, May 17, 2022, Oakland City Council voted to amend the ordinance. City Council adopted the following changes, which took immediate effect:

• Lifting previous vaccination requirements to enter most indoor public locations (the requirement to show proof of vaccination for entry to Senior Adult Care Facilities and City of Oakland Senior Centers remains in place)
• Patrons attending large indoor events (2,500+ attendees) are required to wear a mask

Learn more at: www.oaklandca.gov/VaxOrdinance

As of April 18, 2022, Alameda County Continues COVID-19 Quarantine Requirements in Alignment with the CDC. Quarantine is required for residents who are not fully vaccinated and are close contacts of someone who has tested positive for COVID, regardless of their symptom status. Alameda County is aligned with the State’s K-12 and childcare quarantine guidance, and this announcement does not impact children and youth in these settings.

While the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the U.S. Department of Labor has withdrawn its emergency temporary standard (ETS) to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the workplace as an enforceable standard, it remains a proposed rule. OSHA strongly encourages the vaccination of workers.

Alameda County Workplace Guidance

Mask Required For Entry Poster: Arabic | Amharic | Burmese | Chinese (Simplified) | Chinese (Traditional) | English | Khmer | Korean | Spanish | Swahili | Tagalog | Tigrinya | Vietnamese

Face Covering Sign for Businesses by Alameda County (PDF): ENGLISH | SPANISH | CHINESE (Simplified) | CHINESE (Traditional) | KOREAN | ARABIC | TAGALOG | VIETNAMESE | CAMBODIAN

Mask On Sign for Businesses by Alameda County (PDF) in English, Chinese and Spanish

ReOpening Guide signs by the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (PDF), in partnership with Oaklandish and the Economic Recovery Advisory Council, 11" x 17" signs for download. Pick up hard copies from any Oakland Chamber, Business Improvement District or CIty Council office. ENGLISH | CHINESE | SPANISH | VIETNAMESE

For current eligibility for vaccination, please visit Alameda County Public Health's website.

In the meantime, please protect yourself from COVID-19 by wearing a mask, keeping your distance from others, avoiding crowds, and washing your hands frequently.

To learn more about vaccine planning in Alameda County, please visit their website.

Employer Vaccination Toolkit
If you’re an employer who is interested in supporting your employees in getting vaccinated, please review the information in the toolkit.

Employers must report workplace-related outbreaks to the local health department. An outbreak is defined as 3 or more positive employee cases within an exposed group.

Track and keep a record of all COVID-19 cases with employee's name, contact information, occupation, location worked, date of last day at workplace and date of positive COVID-19 test.

Report positive cases using the online portal.

Review Alameda County Public Health Department's step-by-step instructions.

Have a question? Email COVIDWorkplace@acgov.org.

On January 1, 2021, AB 685 went into effect. The law requires businesses to notify employees of potential COVID-19 exposure at the workplace within one business day of exposure. The law remains in effect until January 1, 2023.

California COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave
Employers with more than 25 employees must provide 80 hours of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave for eligible employees who are:

• Isolating/quarantining related to COVID-19
• Attending appointments to receive a COVID-19 vaccine
• Experiencing symptoms related to COVID-19 vaccine
• Experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
• Caring for a family member who is subject to quarantine or isolation
• Caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed due to COVID-19

The Supplemental Paid Sick Leave extends through September 30, 2021. 2021 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave FAQs

California Paid Sick Leave: Frequently Asked Questions

October 5: CDPH updated the Interim Guidance for Ventilation, Filtration, and Air Quality in Indoor Environments to incorporate Cal/OSHA revisions, clarify legal requirements, and add additional resources.

As of August 5, Yelp has added new features to help businesses communicate their vaccination protocols with the public. Users will be able to filter businesses by two new attributes - "proof of vaccination required" and "all staff fully vaccinated" - when searching for local businesses and restaurants.

HIPAA, COVID-19 Vaccination, and the Workplace

Alameda County Workplace Guidance

Employers are subject to the Cal.OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS), if applicable to them.

General Business Ventilation Guidance During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Source: Alameda County Public Health

COVID-19 Employer Playbook for a Safe Reopening - Source: California Department of Public Health

COVID-19 Guidance Documents - Source: California Department of Public Health

Planning Considerations for Organizations in Reconstituting Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Source: FEMA

How-To guide for re-opening your workplace – Source: Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield Webinar

SAFE Retail - Considerations for Retail Operations Post COVID-19 - Source: Target

Reopening Resources by Industry - Source: International Economic Development Council

Guidance for Reopening Buildings After Prolonged Shutdown or Reduced Operation - Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention industry decision trees:

• Restaurants & Bars
• Child Care
• Youth Programs & Camps
• Workplaces and Businesses
• Schools and Child Care Programs
  
• Manufacturing Workers and Employers
• Office Buildings

Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes – Source: CDC

Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting – Source: CDC handout, April 28, 2020

Cleaning and Disinfection for Community Facilities – Source: CDC

California COVID-19 Employer Playbook: when and how an employer must report a COVID-19 positive employee; what is defined as an outbreak; and guidance for employers who may be considering whether to suspend operations due to COVID-19 spread in the workplace.

Criteria for Release from Home Isolation and/or Quarantine and Return to Work

When do I Self-Release from Isolation for COVID-19?

California-made Personal Protective Equipment Marketplace Source: California Manufacturers & Technology Association

Screening Guidance for Employers, Businesses, and Organizations - Source: Alameda County Public Health:
English | Arabic | Farsi | Khmer | Korean | Spanish | Tagalog | Vietnamese | Chinese (Simplified) | Chinese (Traditional)

Alameda County Worker Resources - Source: Alameda County Public Health:
English | Spanish | Chinese (simplified) | Chinese (traditional) | Tagalog | Vietnamese

OSHA COVID-19 Guidelines – Source: U.S. Department of Labor

OSHA Standards – Source: U.S. Department of Labor

Cal/OSHA Guidance on Requirements to Protect Workers from Coronavirus - Source: California Department of Industrial Relations

Workplace Outbreak Guidance for Employers - Source: California Department of Public Health

Oakland recently updated its Paid Sick Leave law to protect workers from COVID-19. Employers should read the new guidelines and post the regulations in a public place.

The City of Oakland’s Workforce Development Board has launched a free, online skills training platform offered by Metrix Learning.

Taking courses can help Oaklanders improve a wide variety of skills, earn industry certificates, launch into new careers or advance up the career ladder. Metrix Learning offers more than 5,000 courses leading to over 180 industry certificates, with online classes in English, Spanish and Cantonese.

Accessible 24/7, the self-paced courses allow users to take the classes when it is convenient for them. This training resource is available to any Oakland resident or business owner. Register at: https://oakland.metrixlearning.com/

As Oakland restaurants are allowed by County Order to re-open in stages, industry-specific resources are available.

To specifically support businesses with curbside or storefront pickup, and/or delivery, the City is taking the following steps:

1. Streamlining Sidewalk and Roadway Permitting

In anticipation of further updates to Alameda County’s Shelter-in-Place Order, City departments are working to revise the permitting process for sidewalk and roadway encroachments to make it easier for retailers and restaurants to use larger portions of the sidewalk and roadway to support their businesses. The City is working to streamline permits for parklets, café seating and other uses to help businesses better meet physical distancing requirements, and anticipates issuing updated guidelines by the end of May. City departments want to hear from local businesses about how it can streamline permitting for creative ways to use larger portions of the sidewalk, adjacent parking spaces, and the broader street space to support businesses.

Learn about the Flex Streets Initiative.

2. Expediting White Curb Requests
In order to facilitate customer pick-up and delivery from Oakland businesses during the COVID-19 period, business owners can request a temporary white curb in front of their business. To request a temporary white curb, please contact Oak311 by dialing 311 or online at https://www.oaklandca.gov/services/oak311.

Oakland's Open
To include Oakland in the message on June 15 that the California economy is reopening, the Visit Oakland team has created a toolkit with social media assets, as well as update several website pages and resources.

This toolkit is free for Oakland businesses to use. Assets include:

1. Social Media hashtag and graphics
2. Link to "Oakland's Open" video
3. Link to "Oakland's Open" landing page on VisitOakland.com
4. Links to reopening information resources including COVID Safety and Oakland Travel Pledge.

Click here to access the toolkit. For any support please contact the Visit Oakland Marketing team: marketing@visitoakland.com

The Economic Recovery Advisory Council will be charged with identifying both short-term recommendations to facilitate the reopening and recovery of Oakland’s economic sectors from the COVID-19 crisis, and longer-term strategies for systemic change that creates a more equitable economy into the future.

Mayor Schaaf, Vice Mayor Reid Announce Oakland Economic Recovery Advisory Council

Learn more about the Advisory Council