CHP headquarters sent 17 COVID-19 notifications in 2 weeks. Are they following protocol?
The California Highway Patrol has notified employees of at least 17 positive COVID-19 tests at its Sacramento headquarters over the last two weeks, according to emails.
The uptick in notifications, which comes amid a statewide spike in reported infections, has alarmed at least one employee, who said the department has been slow to adopt rigorous safety standards for testing and masks. The employee spoke with The Bee on the condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation.
The headquarters consists of three buildings, according to the employee. The CHP notices don’t identify the buildings where infected employees last appeared, unlike the more specific notices sent to employees at the Department of Motor Vehicles headquarters.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a lockdown on Dec. 3 tied to regional hospital capacity. Many state offices closed Dec. 7, but those performing “critical functions,” including CHP, stayed open.
CHP notified employees Dec. 3 of four positive COVID-19 tests, and sent new notifications nearly daily through Dec. 17 for a total of 17 positive tests.
Yet the department didn’t halt indoor dining at a campus cafeteria until Dec. 11, according to an email employees received that day signed “facilities section.”
At least another eight employees have recently tested positive at the CHP Academy in West Sacramento, according to other emails. The department announced late Thursday that it is temporarily suspending cadet training at the academy.
“Department leaders are continually monitoring and evaluating the situation,” CHP spokeswoman Fran Clader said in an email. “We constantly take steps to ensure all workplaces are as safe as possible, while continuing to provide essential services and remain responsive to the needs of the public.”
Clader said the department is providing telework for every employee who is eligible based on classification and duties. She wouldn’t say how many employees work at the headquarters buildings or how many are teleworking, citing security concerns.
Statewide, 562 out of about 11,000 CHP employees have tested positive, Clader said. She declined to say how many uniformed officers have tested positive, citing “privacy concerns and legal requirements.”
The cases at the department’s downtown campus come amid a statewide surge in positive tests. The state reported 52,281 new positive tests on Thursday and 379 new deaths.
On Nov. 19, workplace regulator Cal-OSHA approved emergency regulations imposing new requirements on California employers. The regulations mandate how employers must respond following an “outbreak,” defined as three or more positive tests in a 14-day span.
During an outbreak, all employees in an exposed workplace must be tested at no cost, according to the rules. All employees must be tested again a week later, and weekly testing should continue until the workplace goes 14 days without three positive tests, according to the rules.
The anonymous employee said workers haven’t received any information about free testing or instructions that everyone in the workplace should get tested.
Clader, the CHP spokeswoman, didn’t directly respond to a question about whether CHP is testing employees according to Cal-OSHA’s regulations for an outbreak.
“The CHP follows public health guidance, all applicable regulations and labor agreements, and is committed to maintaining a safe work environment for employees,” she said in an email. “The department continually assesses workplace risk and makes adjustments when needed to ensure employee safety.”
A group of businesses sued Cal-OSHA over the regulations Wednesday, saying the regulator overstepped its authority when it approved them.
This story was originally published December 18, 2020 at 10:50 AM with the headline "CHP headquarters sent 17 COVID-19 notifications in 2 weeks. Are they following protocol?."