An important message about COVID-19
COVID-19 is spreading in King County. But together, we can slow it down, saving lives. Everyone, young and old, should stay home and avoid all non-essential contact.
When you must go out, limit your trips and stay six feet apart from others. Our individual actions affect the health of our entire community. And what we do as a community protects us all.
Stay home and slow the spread. View this video featuring Public Health Health Officer, Dr. Jeff Duchin and learn more about what King County is doing in response to the coronavirus at www.kingcounty.gov/coronavirus.
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Roads crews continuing their essential work
Mowing
Our Roads Services maintenance crews are continuing to keep roads and bridges in unincorporated King County safe and usable during COVID-19 and beyond.
In his “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, Governor Jay Inslee listed road maintenance and construction as essential infrastructure activities. Delaying Roads’ work could cause immediate safety hazards as well as long-term deficiencies in the county’s road and bridge system. Catching up on delayed maintenance work in the future might be difficult or impossible, resulting in degraded road conditions and safety problems.
Roads crews are following public health guidance while doing their work. They’re avoiding close contact with one another, typically driving one person per vehicle; using gloves as needed; and following enhanced cleaning practices for shared tools, equipment, and vehicles. They’re also asking the public to stay clear of crews who are working on roadsides or in their vehicles, and to allow at least six feet of distance if they need to speak to a maintenance worker. Find out more about their essential work here.
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Coverage expanded for COVID-19 medical care
King County employees and their family members enrolled in Kaiser (SmartCare) and Regence (KingCare and KingCare Select) medical plans will not have to pay copays, coinsurance, or deductibles for medical services and medications related to the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.
King County is providing this coverage enhancement to remove any financial barriers to accessing care and treatment for COVID-19. This expanded coverage takes effect immediately and applies retroactively to services and medications received beginning March 5, 2020.
The 100% coverage applies to COVID-19 testing and treatments at an office visit, emergency room, urgent care, hospital, telehealth, virtual care, or other facilities.
Seek care from network providers
As always, you should seek care from providers in your medical plan network whenever possible. If you must see an out-of-network provider due to an emergency or because of a lack of capacity at in-network facilities, your medical plan will pay 100% of the amount it would normally pay an in-network provider. If you are unexpectedly hospitalized, it’s a good idea to call your medical plan within 24 hours of being admitted, or as soon as medically possible, to avoid charges for non-network medical services.
If you receive a bill for treatment of COVID-19, contact Regence BlueShield or Kaiser Permanente for assistance.
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Approval process for accessing COVID-19-related paid administrative leave
King County has entered into Memorandums of Agreement (MOA) with many of its unions to provide employees who meet specific eligibility requirements (see below) and workers with non-standard full-time schedules with up to 80 additional hours of paid leave for COVID-19-related illnesses and reasons.
This leave is prorated for part-time workers and is not available to interns and short-term temporary employees (STTs). The Office of Labor Relations (OLR) is currently finalizing negotiations with the remaining unions, and the list will be updated as agreements are finalized. This leave is also available to non-represented employees.
Please be advised that employees must receive supervisor approval in order to take this leave. Supervisors will make decisions based on the eligibility criteria (see below), operational needs and business continuity, and employee designations as First Responders and Mission-Critical.
As previously communicated, First Responders “have the highest duty to report to work as directed in emergency conditions,” and Mission-Critical Employees “must be available to perform their duties as determined by their agency management,” per King County’s Temporary Leave and Telecommuting Policy. First Responders and Mission-Critical Employees are expected to continue to report to work in person or telework per existing arrangements. Departments can change employee designations as needed and must inform employees accordingly. This is as important as ever during our COVID-19 response.
Eligibility Criteria for Paid Administrative Leave
- Employees who are sick with COVID-19 or taking care of eligible family members with COVID-19
- Employees who are sick with COVID-19 symptoms and must stay home
- Employees who are not high risk but are directed by a Health Officer or qualified medical professional to quarantine because of potential exposure to COVID-19 and who cannot telecommute
- Employees who are home because their child’s school or childcare is closed and who are unable to work or telecommute
- Employees who fall into CDC high risk categories* who cannot telecommute and do not want to come into the workplace
*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definition of “high risk” include:
- People aged 65 years and older
- People of all ages with underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, including:
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- People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
- People who have serious heart conditions
- People who are immunocompromised
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- Many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications
- People with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher)
- People with diabetes
- People with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis
- People with liver disease
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New telecommuting resources site
The Department of Human Resources has launched a new site with information and resources for employees who have started telecommuting as a response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The site provides information on tools, health and wellness, and learning employees can do from home. It also has a section for supervisors and managers about managing employees remotely.
Employees are encouraged to talk to their supervisor if they would like to engage in lengthy trainings during work time. Supervisors are encouraged to be flexible and allow employees to attend online training if their workload allows. The trainings on the new website are free or low cost. Supervisors should be familiar with the process for approving training and any associated costs within their departments and divisions.
View the telecommuting resources site and learn more about working from home, and staying connected and engaged.
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Self-care for Essential Personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic
Essential personnel are employees whose jobs are necessary for King County to continue operating. Many of you – including staff from Metro, DAJD, FMD, the Criminal Defense system, and others – have jobs that cannot be performed at home, and so you continue to report to work each day during this pandemic. King County is grateful for your continued dedication to our community.
Balanced You knows this is a difficult and stressful time for you. We are here to support essential personnel in reducing stress and caring for your well-being. Visit the Balanced You blog for tips and resources you can use as you respond, professionally and personally, to coronavirus.
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Join us in thanking our community’s essential workers
Crossposted from Public Health Insider
Over the past few weeks many people have transitioned to telecommuting to comply with Governor Inslee’s Stay Home order to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Many others, who are essential workers, will continue to report to their jobs to ensure critical public health, safety and infrastructure functions continue to support Washingtonians. They are making sure that there is food, water, electricity, trash and sanitation services, buses & trains running, and health care services and spaces.
Being an essential worker during the COVID-19 pandemic means potentially exposing themselves and their families to COVID-19 while performing their job duties. Essential workers are having to deal with new stresses of adding social distancing measures to their jobs, shifting work hours, changing childcare needs with school closures among many other challenges, all while serving our King County community during this stressful time. Many of these jobs were hard and underappreciated to begin with, even before additional stresses and pressures of COVID-19.
Read more from Public Health Insider
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Free personalized Money Coaching for King County employees
During the uncertain economic times brought on by the coronavirus outbreak, you may find yourself becoming worried about your family’s financial stability. Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn to an impartial expert for advice? With King County’s My Secure Advantage (MSA) program, you can receive personalized advice from a professional Money Coach for free.
What is a Money Coach?
A Money Coach is a trained professional who works with you one-on-one to assess your current financial situation and help you take concrete steps to improve it. Money Coaches have certifications in financial planning, taxes, and credit counseling. They can help with a wide variety of situations, including establishing or adjusting your budget, advising on mortgage and loan deferrals, or investing. The MSA Money Coaches are paid a salary; they will not charge you any fees and they won’t try to sell you anything.
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Featured Job: CNA Care Coordinator (Medical Assistant)
Salary: $22.74 – $28.83 Hourly
Location: Various Locations throughout King County, WA
Job Type: Short Term Temporary, Part Time, Std Wkly Hrs Vary
Department: DPH – Public Health
Job Number: 2020NH11591
Division: Community Health Services
Closing: Continuous
Learn more about this position or view all available positions.
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April and May mindfulness class schedule now available
Mindfulness is a practice that can support you in reducing stress at work and at home. Mindfulness techniques are especially useful now, as we move through the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.
Balanced You continues to partner with Mindfulness Northwest to offer free mindfulness classes and workshops to King County employees, via both employee-specific and community classes. In alignment with social distancing recommendations, all in-person classes have temporarily shifted to online platforms.
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