California workers in the food sector will receive two weeks of paid sick leave, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday regarding the latest executive order he has signed.
The governor said the supplemental sick leave will be for those “who have been exposed to COVID-19 or have been exposed to isolation or quarantine orders by local health officials or state or federal officials.”
Workers covered in the order include farmworkers, agricultural workers, employees in grocery stores and fast-food chains, as well as delivery drivers.
“These workers on the front lines of this crisis are our unsung heroes for continuing to work to ensure that Californians have food on their tables during these challenging times, and we must do everything in our power to make sure they are taken care of at home and in the workplace,” said Newsom. “Making sure they have paid sick leave and added protections in their place of work is critical.”
The order also includes health and safety guidelines for the workplace, which includes allowing employees “to wash their hands every 30 minutes and additionally as needed” to enhance proper sanitation efforts.
These guidelines come as Los Angeles County laid out its business protocol for essential businesses currently operating under the safer-at-home order. Among the list of measures businesses must show they are following, companies must allow their employees to take frequent breaks for handwashing, set workstations 6 feet away from each other and inform workers who are sick to stay home.
Newsom also announced Thursday that California’s total confirmed cases of COVID-19 reached 27,634 and 951 deaths.
For all local coronavirus-related stories, visit: signalscv.com/2020/03/covid-19-coverage-summary.
