Nineteen months into the pandemic, public health protocols have changed to adapt to greater understanding of COVID, new variants and vaccines — and the Okanogan County commissioners are trying to catch up with the latest rules.
The commissioners discussed COVID policy and protocol last week after Commissioner Chris Branch raised the issue, concerned that the county didn’t have a clear, consistent policy.
Some county departments require masks for all employees and the public, but others leave it up to department heads, Branch said, calling the approach “laissez-faire.”
The county tries to accommodate all its employees, Commissioner Andy Hover said. It’s hard to impose a mandate on everyone who walks through the door while also protecting their right to privacy, he said. The county follows workplace safety guidelines set by the Washington Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Hover said.
Branch asked how the county can protect the safety of all staffers. Some employees are very concerned and are wearing masks even though they’re vaccinated, while their co-workers dismiss risks and don’t follow precautions, he said.
People have a Constitutional right not to wear a mask or get tested, Commissioner Jim DeTro said. Since he doesn’t wear a mask because of a medical condition, DeTro said he offers to use curbside pick-up at local businesses if they aren’t comfortable.
A mask requirement would have different effects on different people. Hover said he would ask for an accommodation to work remotely. “I am done with the whole mask thing, because there’s no path forward whatsoever,” Hover said, noting that the governor issued the emergency declaration about two years ago. Hover wondered if it would ever be lifted.
Clerk of the Board Laleña Johns asked the commissioners to clarify the county’s policy for notification, testing and quarantine when an employee has had a potential exposure to COVID. The commissioners said they consult with Okanogan County Public Health.
Human Resources, Public Health implement policy
Each elected official is responsible for setting policies in their office, since they know the situation best, Okanogan County Human Resources Director/Risk Manager Tanya Everett said. Everett didn’t participate in the commissioners’ discussion.
All the offices in the county courthouse have signs requiring masks, Everett said.
Department heads work closely with Public Health to keep people safe. Based on contact tracing and case investigation, Public Health determines who should be tested after an exposure to COVID, Everett said. L&I requires that employees be notified in writing if they’ve been exposed at work.
Workers who’ve been exposed on the job are granted paid administrative leave if they have to quarantine. If a front-line worker (one who deals with the public) gets sick with COVID-19, the employee qualifies for workers’ compensation, following a law passed last year that presumes that the illness was caused by on-the-job exposure, according to L&I.
If case investigation determines that an employee was exposed outside the office — for example, at a wedding — that person would have to use sick leave, Everett said.
The state last updated its mask requirements in September. All workers must wear a mask if they are dealing with the public. Members of the public must wear a mask.
In an office without public contact, vaccinated workers can go without a mask, but others must use face coverings. Employers can set stricter policies.
Okanogan County stats
Okanogan County reported 139 COVID infections in the week ending Oct. 24, just three more than last week. New cases in the Methow dropped considerably, with just four in Twisp and four in Winthrop, compared to 26 in the valley last week.
As of Oct. 21, the infection rate per 100,000 population over 14 days was 645, with a rate of 1,310 for unvaccinated people and 93 for vaccinated people, according to Okanogan County Public Health. All these rates have decreased from recent weeks.
