California nurses associations oppose work order despite being infected with COVID

Photo: ETIENNE LAURENT / EFE

Various nursing associations in southern California expressed their opposition to the instruction of the state health authorities to report to work infected with COVID if they are asymptomatic.

The groups argued that the measure goes against their labor rights, in addition to increasing the risk of exposure to the virus and causing more infections.

“We will fight if they implement these guidelines,” the president of the California Nurses Association told local media.

“The way that This pandemic is reduced by providing adequate personnel,” nurse practitioner Ileana Meza told the Univisión network, calling for the cancellation of non-critical medical procedures, elective surgeries, and tests and isolation of medical personnel infected with the SARS CoV-2 virus.

According to the temporary guidance of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), employees in the health sector who present a positive result in a coronavirus test and do not present symptoms of the disease, they can report to work immediately, without any isolation and without tests.

The CDPH established that the guideline is temporary and will remain in effect from January 8 to February 1, 2022. They meet the return-to-work criteria for health care personnel, which includes nurses, administrative and cleaning staff.

The provision of California health authorities seek to prevent a lack of staff from causing a health crisis in hospitals and health care centers