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Alachua County to drop most COVID-19 policies for employees and the public, effective February 28

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Alachua County Manager Michele Lieberman has issued new COVID-19 procedures, effective February 28, 2022.

Masks for the public

Masks are not required in any County buildings but are “strongly encouraged when social distancing is not possible.”

Masks for employees

Masks are no longer required for employees, but employees are free to wear approved masks “as they feel comfortable.” Employees are asked to wear a mask if a member of the public asks them to wear one.

Screening for employees

Weekly testing/screening for unvaccinated employees is no longer required. Symptomatic or COVID-positive employees are required to call the COVID-19 Reporting and Assistance line.

Incentives

The insurance credit incentive will expire on September 31, 2022, and all other COVID-19 incentives end on March 1, 2022.

Travel procedures

Travel is no longer restricted for unvaccinated employees; “All travel rules will follow the pre COVID-19 policies.”

Meetings

Meetings can be held in person if there is a business purpose, but employees are encouraged to conduct meetings via Zoom or MS Teams.

Working remotely

Employees who are currently authorized to work remotely “shall continue to do so for the time being.” New remote working policies will be rolled out “this year.”

Leave time and compensation

Employees who must be out of work because of a positive COVID-19 test or quarantine must use their personal leave time. “There will be no additional COVID-19 leave time provided.” Workers’ Compensation Benefits will return to pre-COVID-19 coverage.

COVID-19 reporting

As noted above, employees must continue to report COVID-19 symptoms or positive tests and should not report to work until cleared to do so. Rapid tests will remain available to employees.

Constitutional Officers

Constitutional Officers have the authority to establish rules within their offices, and Alachua County employees are required to follow the rules established by Constitutional Officers while in their office.

All previous COVID-19 policies are superseded except for the reporting guidelines.

  • Why is Lieberman still wearing the mask in the photo? Is that an old photo? They need to ditch the mask…
    It’s turning out to be a virtue signaling thing for social
    Justice…only hypochondriacs, communists, and people
    Who are virtue signaling still wear them..

  • According to CRT, individual rights and
    Freedom is racist…so, what do you want then, freedom or slavery?
    I ask a lot of black Americans, why are you wearing the
    Mask? The answer is: I don’t know or I’m used to it.
    They are wearing the mask as a political statement…hoodlums,
    Gangstas, & criminal gang bangers wear the mask so
    You can’t identify them in a line-up. You can’t convict
    The criminal if you can’t identity him.

  • I was going to donate to the Canadian Truckers because
    They are fighting for freedom…Good thing I didn’t because Trudeau is freezing the bank accounts of
    Citizens who donated there…I think I, will take my
    Money out of my bank in case they try the same thing
    Here if they don’t like my political affiliations.

  • Maybe these Woke liberals will wake up now that Russia has invaded Ukraine and is threatening the USA. Since Biden shut down all Trump’s energy independence, masks and other feckless virtue signaling will go away while inflation skyrockets.
    Way to go Biden!

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