September 30, 2023
New coronavirus vaccine (Photo/iStock)
Written by Karen Berry
San Luis Obispo County health officials on Sept. 21 issued a vaccine and mask mandate requiring all health care workers to either receive an annual vaccine or wear a mask at work.
Instead of taking guidance from the state, SLO County Health Officer Penny Borenstein created her own order under Health and Safety Act 120175. Borenstein will require all health care workers in the county to receive annual COVID-19 and influenza vaccines or wear masks at work for six months. This year’s.
Code Section 120175 allows county health officials to take steps to stop the spread of infectious diseases within the county.
Rather than issuing a temporary order based on a rise in the number of influenza or coronavirus cases, Borenstein would issue a permanent order based on a seasonal increase in the number of coronavirus or influenza cases. An order has been issued. The county currently requires health care workers to receive an annual vaccine or wear a mask at work from Nov. 1 to April 30 of each year.
Dr. Penny Borenstein, SLO County Health Department Director
For the past three years, the number of coronavirus cases in SLO County has increased in August and January, but has decreased compared to the previous year, according to . California’s coronavirus dashboard. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the county in August 2021 hit a high of 7.3 people per day on a weekly average in August 2021, followed by 4.7 people per day in 2022 and 2.1 people in 2023. reduced to humans.
Governor Gavin Newsom lifted California’s indoor mask mandate on March 1, 2022, and ended the mask mandate for health care workers and facilities on April 3, 2023. Several California counties recently reimposed mask mandates following a spike in coronavirus cases.
One of the strictest mandates in the nation is Santa Clara County, which issued a mask mandate earlier this year and requires health care workers and visitors to health care facilities from late fall through spring each year unless exempted due to age or health issues. Mandatory wearing of masks.
During the pandemic, multiple health care workers, including office staff, have chosen to stay home rather than comply with mask and vaccine mandates. SLO County continues to suffer from the effects of a shortage of health care workers.
Due to the current shortage of health care workers, many residents must wait months, or even a year or more, to see a specialist or get a new family doctor.
A local surgeon and registered nurse said they are looking for jobs outside the county because of Borenstein’s recent orders. (He requested anonymity because he has not yet notified the hospital where he works.) Health care workers and research studies disagree on the safety of coronavirus vaccines and the effectiveness of masks.
In March 2020, the SLO County Board of Supervisors passed a county health emergency that gave the county administrator and Mr. Borenstein authority to manage the coronavirus crisis. Several supervisors later regretted their votes, as former Directors Wade Horton and Borenstein initially refused to follow the board’s direction or relinquish authority to the board.
Under pressure from a majority of the board that was considering firing Borenstein over his alleged high-handed conduct, Horton and Borenstein granted health emergency powers to the supervisory board in 2022. agreed to return it.
“While these declarations are no longer required, public health teams and local health care providers continue to respond to this pandemic and provide resources such as vaccines and testing to help residents protect their health and the health of their communities. “We are doing that,” Borenstein said. February 2022. “We are prepared to handle future surges.”
Before the pandemic, county officials were scrutinizing Borenstein’s handling of several health issues and his ability to oversee the health department.
Multiple SLO county supervisors have expressed opposition to restrictive mandates, but a change in board majority could mean the board supports Borenstein’s vaccine and mask mandate. .
SLO County Supervisors John Petion and Debbie Arnold will ask the board to include a discussion of Borenstein’s new role at its next meeting on Oct. 17.
