With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
L.A. Hospitals Can Ask COVID-Positive Staff To Keep Working
VA Hospital Employees stand outside of a Mobile Isolation Unit built to help the hospital deal with the COVID-19 surge in 2020.
(
Chava Sanchez/LAist
)
As the omicron variant continues to infect tens of thousands of Angelenos each day, hospital administrators are weighing whether to ask staff infected with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic to work.
More than 3,900 patients are currently hospitalized in L.A. County with COVID-19. State models predict that by Jan. 20, the number will surpass 8,300 — more than double what we’re seeing now.
Hospitals are already struggling to stay adequately staffed, with some asking the state to send the National Guard or travel nurses to fill gaps.
Hospital staff reported the highest proportion of COVID-19 cases in L.A. County, compared with other health facilities such as nursing homes. Almost 200 hospital staff tested positive between Dec. 26 and Jan.1, the most recent data available. That number has surely ballooned during the dramatic increase in cases over the past 10 days.
Support for LAist comes from
In response to the shortages, the state health department on Saturday issued new guidance to hospitals and nursing homes: Workers who are infected but have no symptoms may immediately return to work without isolation or additional testing, as well as those who have been exposed. The new guidelines remain in effect until Feb. 1.
The guidelines say hospitals should exhaust all other options first, and positive health workers should only be assigned to COVID-19 patients. The workers are required to wear N95 masks.
It’s unclear how many L.A. hospitals are asking asymptomatic health workers to continue to provide care.
A representative from St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood said in a statement that “nurses who fall under this criteria may choose to return to work or follow the guidelines for sick leave as set forth in their nursing contract.” The representative could not provide the number of nurses who “have chosen to return to work.”
Other hospitals are waiting to decide. The L.A. County Department of Health Services, which runs four hospitals and 24 health centers, said in a statement that it has “not adopted or issued an official policy containing the January 8th California Department of Public Health guidelines ... Health care workers who test positive and are asymptomatic are not being returned to work without testing prior to finishing their isolation.”
Nurses unions have pushed back against the controversial guidance, calling for it to be scrapped.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The City Council will vote Tuesday on a proposal to study raising the pay for construction workers on apartments with at least 10 units and up to 85 feet high. -
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol. -
Kevin Lee's Tokyo Noir has become one of the top spots for craft-inspired cocktails. -
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress.
Best of LAist