“It’s just a matter of common sense.”
That’s how magistrate Ronald Johnson described the new policy approved by the Russell County Fiscal Court on Monday that will require county employees to receive a negative COVID test to return to work if they have been quarantined by a healthcare provider.
Currently, some county employees have returned to work from quarantine without a negative COVID test if they did not experience any symptoms during their quarantine period. The new county policy which goes into effect on Oct. 1 will require employees to have a negative test before they return.
The policy was approved unanimously by the magistrates and was part of a larger discussion on how the county will handle time off for employees who have been quarantined by a healthcare provider due to direct contact with a positive COVID case.
The county has provided pay for employees who have had to miss work due to COVID protocols so long as the employee requires documentation from a healthcare provider that states the employee has been placed under a medical quarantine, according to County Treasurer Kim Fenske.
More discussion on the issue is expected at next month’s fiscal court meeting.
