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NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans encourages essential businesses in the area to review their human resource policies related to COVID-19 exposure, sickness, and return to work.
The rate of infection in New Orleans clearly indicates substantial community spread. All individuals should assume they have been exposed, stay home except for essential needs, and avoid close contact with others. If an individual becomes symptomatic (fever, cough, or shortness of breath), they should assume they have COVID-19 and stay home to prevent further spread. The City strongly recommends against employers requiring proof of COVID-19 infection for employees to return to work or to be released from essential duties.
The following are a set of suggested policies related to releasing sick workers and allowing recovered employees to return to essential work:
- If an essential employee exhibits symptoms of COVID-19, he or she should isolate and contact their human resources department immediately for further instructions. Employers should allow symptomatic employees to isolate without requiring proof of COVID-19 infection.
- Employees who are home on quarantine (i.e. they have been exposed to COVID-19 but are without symptoms) should not be allowed to return to work until 14 days after the date of exposure. Employees that remain asymptomatic during their period of quarantine should not require medical clearance from a physician to return to work.
- Employees who are home under isolation (i.e. they have been confirmed to have COVID-19 or have symptoms consistent with it) should not be allowed to return to work until:
- The employee has had no fever for at least 72 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medicine); AND
- Other symptoms have improved (for example, cough of shortness of breath); AND
- At least 7 days have passed since the employee’s symptoms first appeared
For additional information, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html
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