Updated: March 27, 2023

City of Torrance
Return to Work Guidelines & Contact Tracing Procedures for Supervisors

FOR EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE HAD CLOSE CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WITH COVID19
A “close contact” is an individual who has shared the same indoor airspace with someone with COVID19 for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period while they were infectious. A person with COVID19 is considered to be infectious 2 days before the onset of symptoms or for asymptomatic individuals – the date of the positive test, in accordance with the LA County’s Isolation Order. For a person with COVID19 who does not have symptoms, the person is considered to be infectious from 2 days before their positive test was taken until 10 days after that test was taken.
  1. An individual who shared the same indoor airspace with the infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, or
  2. An individual who had unprotected contact with the infected person’s body fluids and/or secretions, for example, being coughed or sneezed on, or providing care without appropriate protective equipment.
 
Instructions for Close Contacts:
As long as you do not have symptoms, you do not need to stay away from others. You should take the following steps to lower the risk of spreading COVID-19 to others.
 
  1. Wear a well-fitting mask around others for 10 days, and
  2. Get tested 3-5 days after you were last exposed:
    1. If your test result is positive, follow the isolation requirements.
    2. If you had a positive COVID test within the last 30 days testing is not recommended unless you have symptoms.
  3. Monitor your health for 10 days
    1. If symptoms start, test right away and stay home away from others. If you test positive, follow isolation requirements.
INSTRUCTION TO EMPLOYEES WHO CAN WORK FROM HOME: ​
If you have tested positive for COVID19 or have developed symptoms after being in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID19, you must quarantine for at least 5 days. If you are eligible, upon Department Head approval, you may work from home. Day 0 (zero) is the day of your last exposure. You may end your quarantine after Day 5 and report to a Torrance worksite or facility during your regularly scheduled work shift only if you did not develop any symptoms of COVID19 and you have received a negative COVID19 test from a test taken on Day 5 or later. From Day 6 to Day 10, you must continue to monitor your symptoms, wear a well fitting mask (respirator: N95, KN95), practice good hygiene and keep your distance from others. If you are unable to test or choose not to test, and symptoms are not present, quarantine can end after Day 10. If you develop symptoms of COVID19 and/or receive a positive diagnostic test for COVID19, you must follow LA County’s Isolation Order.
  • Before Returning to Work Onsite, Supervisors Should Ask (for those returning less than 10 days after testing positive): Did you receive a negative COVID19 test result on day 5 or later? Have you remained free of COVID19 symptoms in the last 5 days, such as fever, cough, fatigue, sore throat or shortness of breath? (To return to work, a “yes” response is required for both questions.)
  • Before Returning to Work Onsite, Supervisors Should Ask (for those returning 10 days or more after testing positive): Have you remained fever free without the assistance of fever reducing medication within the last 24 hours?  Are your COVID19 symptoms improving? (To return to work, a “yes” response is required for both questions.)
INSTRUCTION TO EMPLOYEES WHO CANNOT WORK FROM HOME:
If you have tested positive for COVID19 or have developed symptoms after being in close contact with an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19, you must quarantine for at least 5 days. Day 0 (zero) is the day of your last exposure. You may end your quarantine after Day 5 and report to a Torrance worksite or facility during your regularly scheduled work shift if you did not develop any symptoms of COVID19 and you have received a negative COVID19 test from a test taken on Day 5 or later. From Day 6 to Day 10, you must continue to monitor your symptoms, wear a medical grade mask (surgical or respirator), practice good hygiene and keep your distance from others. If you are unable to test or choose not to test, and symptoms are not present, quarantine can end after Day 10. If you develop symptoms of COVID19 and/or receive a positive diagnostic test for COVID19, you must follow LA County’s Isolation Order. To receive pay during your time-off from work due to COVID19, you will need to use your own forms of accrued leave.
 
  • Before Returning to Work Onsite, Supervisors Should Ask (for those returning less than 10 days after close contact): Did you receive a negative COVID19 test result on day 5 or later? Have you remained free of COVID19 symptoms in the last 5 days, such as fever, cough, fatigue, sore throat or shortness of breath? (To return to work, a “yes” response is required for both questions.)
  • Before Returning to Work Onsite, Supervisors Should Ask (for those returning 10 days or more after close contact): Have you remained fever free without the assistance of fever reducing medication within the last 24 hours?  Are your COVID19 symptoms improving? (To return to work, a “yes” response is required for both questions.)
Documents to Provide Employee: LA County Public Health Quarantine Order. ​
EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID19 AND HAVE SYMPTOMs
Instruction to Employees: If you have COVID-19, you must stay home from others for at least 5 days. You must isolate even if you have no symptoms and/or if you have been vaccinated or infected in the past. Follow the isolation instructions below to protect others.
 
To count the days:
  • Day 0 is the first day of symptoms
  • If you don’t have symptoms, Day 0 is when your first positive test was collected. If you go on to get symptoms, restart with Day 0 as the first day of symptoms.
 
Ending Isolation:
You may end isolation after day 5* (i.e., between day 6-10) if:
  •  You have not had a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicine AND
  • You don’t have any other symptoms, or your symptoms are mild and improving.
Note: LAC DPH strongly recommends that you get a negative test for COVID-19 before ending isolation between day 6-10. If you do test, it is best to use antigen tests (including self-tests) to lower the risk of false positives.
If your symptoms of COVID-19 are not improving, you must continue to isolate until your symptoms are improving or until after day 10.
If you have a condition that weakens your immune system or if you were severely ill with COVID-19 you might need to stay home for longer than 10 days. Talk to your doctor about when you can be around other people.
If your COVID-19 symptoms return or get worse after you end isolation, you may have COVID-19 rebound. Take an antigen test. If you test positive, you need to restart isolation at day 0. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms or concerns.
Wear a well-fitting mask:
While in isolation, you must wear a well-fitting mask if there is a need to be in the same room with others. Continue to wear a well-fitting mask when you are indoors around others through Day 10.
 
If you meet the criteria to end isolation after day 5, you can stop wearing a mask sooner (between day 6-10) if you have two negative COVID-19 tests in a row that were taken at least a day apart.

​Please note – when you return to work, you are required to wear a mask at the workplace for a total of 10 days. See Return to Work (Non-Healthcare) Summary Table.
  • Before Returning to Work, Supervisors Should Ask (for those returning less than 10 days after the first day of symptoms): Has it been at least 5 days since your symptoms first started? Are you fever-free without the use of medication? Have your symptoms improved? Have you received a negative test result that was taken on Day 5 or later since your first day of symptoms? (To return to work, a “yes” response is required for all four questions.)
  • Before Returning to Work, Supervisors Should Ask (for those returning 10 days or more after the first day of symptoms): Has it been at least 10 days since your symptoms first started? Are you fever-free without the use of medication? Have your symptoms improved? (To return to work, a “yes” response is required for all three questions.)
EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID19, BUT HAVE NEVER HAD ANY SYMPTOMS
Instruction to Employees: You must isolate at home for at least 5 days, in accordance with LA County’s Isolation Order, during which time you may not report to a Torrance worksite or facility. If you are able to work from home, with Department Head approval, you may do so. You must stay at home until:
  1. At least 5 days have passed since your positive COVID19 test result was taken; AND
  2. You have a negative COVID19 test result from a specimen collected on Day 5 or later. Day 0 (zero) is the day your positive test specimen was collected; AND
  3. You have remained free of symptoms.
  • Before Returning to Work, Supervisors Should Ask (for those returning less than 10 days after positive COVID19 test result): Has it been at least 5 days since your positive COVID19 test was taken? Have you remained free of COVID19 symptoms? Have you received a negative test result that was taken on Day 5 or later since your positive COVID19 test was taken? (To return to work, a “yes” response is required for all three questions.)
  • Before Returning to Work, Supervisors Should Ask (for those returning 10 days or more after positive COVID19 test result): Has it been at least 10 days since your positive COVID19 test was taken? Have you remained free of COVID19 symptoms? (To return to work, a “yes” response is required for both questions.)
Document to Provide Employee: LA County Public Health Isolation Order​
EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL THAT THE EMPLOYEE IS CLINICALLY SUSPECTED TO HAVE COVID19
Instruction to Employees: You must isolate at home for at least 5 days, in accordance with LA County’s Isolation Order, during which time you may not report to a Torrance worksite or facility. If you are able to work from home, with Department Head approval, you may do so. You must stay at home until one of the following two conditions are met:
CONDITION ONE
  1. At least 5 days have passed since your symptoms first started; AND
  2. You have a negative COVID19 test result from a specimen collected on Day 5 or later. Day 0 (zero) is your first day of symptoms; AND
  3. You have no fever (without the use of medicine that reduces fevers); AND
  4. Your symptoms have improved or resolved.
  5. If you are unable to test or choose not to test, and symptoms are improved or resolved, you may end isolation after Day 10.
  • Before Returning to Work, Supervisors Should Ask (for those returning less than 10 days after the first day of symptoms): Has it been at least 5 days since your symptoms first started? Are you fever-free without the use of medication? Have your symptoms improved? Have you received a negative test result that was taken on Day 5 or later since your first day of symptoms? (To return to work, a “yes” response is required for all four questions.)
  • Before Returning to Work, Supervisors Should Ask (for those returning 10 days or more after the first day of symptoms): Has it been at least 10 days since your symptoms first started? Are you fever-free without the use of medication? Have your symptoms improved? (To return to work, a “yes” response is required for all three questions.)
  • Document to Provide Employee: LA County Public Health Isolation Order.
CONDITION TWO
  1. The healthcare provider reassesses your diagnosis and concludes that you do not have COVID19; AND
  2. You have had no fever for at least 24 hours (without the use of medicine that reduces fevers).
  • Before Returning to Work: 1) Supervisors should review the documentation, but should not keep a copy of the health care professional’s note. If the employee prefers, the employee may have the Department HR Representative review the documentation. 2) Supervisors should ask: Have you had no fever for at least 24 hours without the use of medication? (To return to work, a “yes” response is required for this question.)
  • Document to Provide Employee: LA County Public Health Isolation Order.
***COVID19 REBOUND
You may have COVID-19 rebound if your COVID-19 symptoms return or get worse after ending isolation. You should isolate away from others again. Isolation can end 5 days after your rebound began if you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours and your symptoms are improving. To protect others, wear a well-fitting mask around other for at least 10 days after the start of your rebound. See COVID-19 Rebound FAQs. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms or if you have any questions.
CONTACT TRACING PROCEDURES FOR SUPERVISORS
Purpose: The Contact Tracing Procedures is a checklist of items that should be followed anytime a City employee tests positive for COVID19 and may have come in close contact with other employees or members of the public.
 
Contact Tracing Checklist
 
  1. A “close contact” is any of the following people who were exposed to someone with a positive diagnostic COVID19 test while they were infectious. A person with COVID19 is considered to be infectious from 2 days before their symptoms first appeared until the time they are no longer required to be isolated, in accordance to LA County’s Isolation Order.
    1. An individual who has shared the same indoor airspace with the infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, or
    2. An individual who had unprotected contact with the infected person’s body fluids and/or secretions, for example, being coughed or sneezed on, or providing care without appropriate protective equipment. 
 
  1. Review with employee all workspaces (shared and individual) used: Ask the employee who tested positive to identify all workspaces used for the 48-hour period before the onset of the first symptom. Please remember to ask about vehicles, restrooms, locker rooms, meeting rooms, and breakrooms.

Notification Checklist​
 
  1. In notifying employees who came in close contact with the employee who tested positive, please remember to maintain confidentiality. Under no circumstances should the employee’s name who tested positive be shared. Provide impacted employees with LA County Public Health Close Contact Summary and Isolation Orders. If employees are working from home, provide employees with City of Torrance Telecommuting Guidelines and Agreement.
  2. Notify other Department employees: For other employees who are in the Department but who are not directly impacted by an exposure, send out an internal memo documenting action that has been taken related to the incident. A sample memo is attached. Please modify the sample memo to fit your specific situation.
  3. Notify other impacted employees: Contact the Department Head of other Departments who have employees who came in close contact with the employee who tested positive. Department Heads are responsible for notifying their own employees of exposures.
  4. Notify Human Resources Division: Notify Principal HR Analyst, Inshirah Mabson and Human Resources Manager, Hedieh Khajavi, at COVIDContact@TorranceCA.gov of the employee who tested positive and all employees who came in close contact with the employee who tested positive. 
  5. Notify the Human Resources Analyst assigned to your Department.
  6. Complete Mandatory Exposure Report Online: California law requires all positive COVID19 cases involving employees to be recorded and maintained for inspection. The Risk Management Division maintains the records. The online form must be completed at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIUgIREODCNZnbTKIDEska2s1h0B1G_MI9fZPCaYIMdnPiLA/viewform

Action Checklist
 
  1. Sanitize the employee’s workstation who tested positive immediately.
  2. Contact General Services Facility Services Division via Facility Work Request and a follow up phone call to Custodial to schedule a disinfectant fogging of the workspace.  Depending on staff availability, a contract service may be required to perform a deep clean.
  3. If applicable, Red Tag the vehicle so that other City employees do not use it. Notify the Fleet Services Division with the City vehicle number used by the employee who tested positive. Departments are responsible for sanitizing their own vehicles. Once sanitized, please contact Fleet Services Division to update the status of the vehicle.
  4. Follow the Return to Work Guidelines for Supervisors.
  5. Conduct a formal investigation to determine whether workplace conditions contributed to COVID19 exposure. The investigation must be documented and summary action taken if any to prevent future exposure.
  6. Contact your Human Resources Analyst if you have any questions.

COVID19 Testing
 
For employees who were present at the worksite ONE DAY before the person was confirmed to have COVID either through having symptoms or testing positive, until the last day the person was at the worksite, the City will provide a COVID19 test at no-cost to the employee, during the employee’s regular working hours. The COVID19 test is coordinated through the Human Resources Department.
 
  1. The COVID19 test is administered approximately three to five days after the date of potential close contact. Human Resources will coordinate the COVID19 test with employees and supervisors. If the employee did have close contact with the individual confirmed to have COVID, they must obtain a COVID19 rapid antigen test from HR, complete the test, and confirm their test results to HR before returning to a Torrance worksite or facility. An employee who tests positive for COVID19 must comply with the LA County Public Health Quarantine Order.
  2. If an employee reports that they are experiencing COVID-related symptoms or may have potentially exposed others to COVID19 while working after City-Hall operational hours, please direct the employee to their designated supervisor. Supervisors are to then send notices to COVIDContact@TorranceCA.gov.  
  3. If an employee who was previously identified as a close contact tests positive for COVID19, please have the employee complete the Employee’s Report of Industrial Injury or Illness (found on the TEN at https://ten.torranceca.gov/Files/Employees_Report_of_Industrial_Injury_or_IllnessMulti.pdf) and submit to the Workers’ Compensation Division. 
3031 Torrance Blvd.        Torrance, CA 90503         (310) 328-5310      ​TorranceCA@TorranceCA.Gov