The Kenai City Council passed a substitute ordinance that would authorize COVID leave for city employees that test positive for COVID-19. It authorizes the use of funds from a DHSS grant to fund the leave and COVID-19 testing. Kenai was awarded a grant of $326,985.32 to support COVID-19 activities related to recovery and prevention strategies. The additional leave, to be used for employees who test positive for coronavirus, may be used by employees in lieu of their personal leave.
City Manager Paul Ostrander told council the city’s employee policy is the same regardless of vaccination status:
“If you are a close contact, you can come to work, but you’re required to mask for ten days. In the case of COVID positive employees as Mr. Baisden said, they need to quarantine for five days. After a five-day quarantine, if they are symptom free, then they can come back to work. If, after five days, they are still exhibiting symptoms, they must continue to quarantine. We do have a requirement in the protocols right now that after they come back and are symptom free that they have to continue to wear a mask to the end of that ten-day period from when they tested positive.”
Ostrander added:
“The mask requirement is not that they have to wear the mask during the entire day. They are only required to wear a mask when they are within six feet of others. For example, I have been a close contact for this week. The majority of the day, I don’t have a mask on, but when I’m within six feet of others, I’m required to wear a mask and that’s what we ask of our employees. It’s not as onerous as wearing a mask at all times. We only require it when they are within six feet.”
Ostrander said that due to the recent growth of the omicron variant and the increasing number of employees impacted by the virus, temporary COVID-19 employee leave will be provided retroactively to January 20, 2022.
