The CDC has recently updated the mask guidelines for those with the COVID-19 vaccine. see guideline
What’s Changed
If you’ve been fully vaccinated:
You can gather indoors with fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask.
You can gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
If you’ve experienced a Close Contract with someone who has COVID-19, you do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless you have symptoms.
Have You Been Fully Vaccinated?
People are considered fully vaccinated:
2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine
If it has been less than 2 weeks since your shot, or if you still need to get your second dose, you are NOT fully protected. Keep taking all prevention steps until you are fully vaccinated.
Masks Still Needed at Work
MSC caregivers will still need to wear a mask while caring for their client’s. Our seniors fall into the category of people that have an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19, therefore, until more is known, we still need to exercise extreme care that we do not pass along the virus to our clients. Please note:
We’re still learning how well COVID-19 vaccines keep people from spreading the disease.
We’re still learning how effective the vaccines are against variants of the virus that causes COVID-19.
We’re still learning how long COVID-19 vaccines can protect people.
SUPPLEMENTED Paid Time Off Ending for Quarantine or Illness
Now that vaccines are available to prevent COVID-19, MSC will no longer be providing supplemental paid time off benefits to employees forced to quarantine due to a Close Contact exposure to COVID. If you must quarantine and you have available PTO accrued, you are encouraged to use the benefit, this is what it’s for. However, effective April 1, 2021, you will no longer be paid your 2 week average wage regardless of your PTO balance.
For the safety of all our seniors and employees, Nora and I encourage all employees to obtain the vaccine. (See our other posts for information on scheduling an appointment.) Remember to send in a copy of your Vaccine Certificate to be paid for the time to obtain the vaccine.
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