California COVID-19 Vaccination Prioritization Update January 8, 2021 California has updated its vaccine distribution plan (Vaccinate All 58) which seeks to prioritize segments of the population for inoculation. As of today, construction workers fall into segment 1B, Tier 2. Please review the following information and do not hesitate to contact United Contractors with any questions. We will continue to update all members as we learn more. Please visit UnitedContractors.org/COVID19 for the most up to date information, resources, tools and templates to assist you with COVID compliance. BACKGROUND: Governor Newsom formed two advisory bodies to make scientific, evidenced-based recommendations for the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination. The Drafting Guidelines Workgroup is developing California-specific guidance for the prioritization and allocation of vaccines when supplies are limited (our current situation) and the Community Vaccine Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) is providing input and feedback to the planning efforts and resolving barriers to equitable vaccine implementation and decision-making. VACCINE IMPLEMENTATION PHASES: Governor Newsom, under the recommendation of his Advisory Committee, has determined there will be multiple phases of vaccine roll-out. As of January 7 2021, the recommended phases are as follows:
CA CONSTRUCTION ESSENTIAL WORKER STATUS: “Construction workers who support the construction, operation, inspection, and maintenance of construction sites and construction projects (including housing, commercial, and mixed-use construction); and workers who support the supply chain of building materials from production through application/installation, including cabinetry, fixtures, doors, cement, hardware, plumbing, electrical, heating/cooling, refrigeration, appliances, paint/coatings, and employees who provide services that enable repair materials and equipment for essential functions.” ICU CAPACITY & STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS ACROSS CA: SOUTHERN CA & SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY: Regional stay-at-home orders for Southern California and San Joaquin Valley, which expired on December 28, have been extended indefinitely. The stay-at-home orders are triggered when the ICU capacity in a region dips below 15%. The current ICU capacity in both regions remains at 0% and hospitals in Southern California are turning away ambulances where patients have little chance of survival. SACRAMENTO REGION: The Sacramento region’s stay-at-home order expired on January 1 and has also been extended indefinitely. Though public health officials in Sacramento thought COVID-19 cases had plateaued after Thanksgiving, ICU capacity dropped from 17% to 12% in a week. BAY AREA: The Bay Area’s regional stay-at-home order is set to expire on January 8. Public health officials in the Bay Area also thought COVID-19 cases had plateaued after Thanksgiving, but ICU capacity dropped from 10% to 7.9% in a week so expect the order to remain in effect indefinitely. NORTHERN CA: The Northern California region, which includes everything north of Sacramento, never triggered a stay-at-home order and ICU capacity remains at 30%. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CA VACCINE DISTRIBUTION: On January 4, 2021, Governor Newsom acknowledged that California’s pace of COVID-19 vaccine administration is not “good enough.” Nearly 1.3 million doses have been distributed throughout the state, with about 464,300 shots administered (36 percent) as of January 3. An additional 611,500 doses are expected to be shipped to California this week. At the same Advisory Committee meeting Wednesday, Dr. Erica Pan, said that the state plans to vaccinate 1 million people in the next 10 days. To help address the vaccine issue, the Governor announced that he will propose $300 million in the 2021-22 state budget for vaccines. The funding will be used for information technology, including upgrading the CalVax system; logistics, including transport containers, dry ice, freezers, etc.; and a public education campaign. More details are expected Friday with the budget release. To help speed up the pace of vaccinations, the Administration is also looking at expanding the pool of individuals who can administer the vaccine, including dentists, pharmacy technicians, the National Guard, pharmacy programs, and clinic and doctor partnerships. Dr. Pan noted that the state plans to allow for greater flexibility within the priority structure, such as allowing smaller jurisdictions to offer the vaccine to subsequent priority groups once it has moved through the current phase. We will continue to monitor the Advisory Group’s efforts and the Administration’s decision-making on the vaccine roll-out and how it may impact the transportation construction industry. We are also engaging with county governments to understand the roll-out at the local level and will be in touch with additional information as is becomes available. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any specific questions or concerns about this information. THE UCON TEAM IS HERE FOR YOU United Contractors is available to assist you and your staff. We continue to work with counsel, labor & agency leaders, elected officials, and our full scale of team members to bring you the most up-to-date and important information. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns. For our staff directory, click here. Stay up-to-date on all relevant information related to COVID-19 by visiting our website. Contact: UCON EVP Emily Cohen via email or phone (925) 855-7900 |