Workplace Resources

Confused about the new quarantine and isolation guidelines? Learn how long you need to stay home after testing positive or being exposed to COVID-19.

There is a new online reporting system for businesses. You can use this link to confidentially report all positive COVID-19 cases and any close worksite contacts. https://redcap.link/covidreporting

The CDC Community Levels can help businesses and employers make decisions about when to recommend employees and patrons or clients wear masks. If your community is at a "high" level, it's recommended to wear masks indoors.

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COVID-19 Business Manual
(Updated 1/20/2022)

The COVID-19 Business Manual is a step-by-step plan from the Utah Department of Health to protect your business and prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is important to look at how your business operates and make a plan to make your worksite healthier. The manual has up-to-date recommendations from the UDOH, CDC, OHSA, and U.S. Department of Labor.

Some of the information you will find in the manual:

Keeping your business open and what you should do if an employee is exposed to or tests positive for COVID-19
Answers to questions business owners have about requirements for quarantine and isolation, sick leave, and tax credits
Cleaning after a positive case of COVID-19
Testing employees for COVID-19
How to protect your worksite, operations, and employees
Essential and critical infrastructure sector employees

Information for child care centers

Child care facilities are an essential part of our economy and families’ lives. Decisions about how to respond to COVID-19 in child care facilities should be made in order to keep these businesses open and protect both the immediate and long-term health and safety of the children and employees.

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COVID-19 testing resources for businesses and event venues

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Employee exposure scenarios

Healthy customers. Healthy employees. Healthy economy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a tremendous toll on individuals, families, communities, and businesses. Economic activity and health outcomes are tightly connected. Economies thrive when people feel and are safe.

One of the simplest ways to protect lives and livelihoods is by wearing a face mask. Nearly all reputable medical and scientific organizations agree that masks are an effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19.* A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed not only do masks protect other people from getting infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, but that masks can also be protective for the person wearing a mask.** Mask-wearing decreases the number of COVID-19 cases, increases consumer mobility, and increases consumer spending.

* https://pws.byu.edu/covid-19-and-masks
** https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/masking-science-sars-cov2.html

Consumer confidence is linked to the number of COVID-19 cases.*

Health and economics go hand in hand. Studies show that as the number of COVID-19 cases grow, consumer confidence declines. When consumers feel safe, they are more likely to engage in the economy. People who believe they can protect themselves from the virus while out in public have higher consumer confidence and are more likely to spend discretionary income, especially in industries hit hardest by the pandemic. A study by Franklin Templeton and Gallup showed these individuals are twice as likely to dine out, visit a gym, visit a salon or barbershop, or book a flight as those who do not feel confident they can avoid infection while out in public.

People feel less financially optimistic and are more likely to be cautious when cases are surging. Businesses can play a role in helping consumers feel safe by following public health recommendations, including support of mask wearing. State mask mandates, anticipating extreme consequences from COVID-19, and misperception of the severity of the virus all impact consumer confidence. Following public health guidelines can and will spur economic growth.

*https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/a-global-view-of-how-consumer-behavior-is-changing-amid-covid-19#

https://news.gallup.com/poll/321485/confidence-avoiding-covid-linked-consumer-behavior.aspx

Mask mandates positively impact the economy.*

A recent study by the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business showed that low COVID-19 case counts and mask requirements positively impact consumer activity. Counties and states which have mask mandates see higher levels of consumer spending than areas which do not have mask mandates. This same study found Utahns were 13% more likely to go to the store if COVID-19 cases fell by 10%. Utahns were also 51% more likely to go to the store if everyone was wearing a mask. Consumer mobility, or the movement within an economy, has a direct tie to how safe consumers feel during the pandemic. Until a vaccine is widely available, supporting mask wearing is the quickest and most effective way to sustain economic growth and activity.

* https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/marriner-wpmedia/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/SeegertGaulinYangNavarroSanchez2020-web.pdf

Wearing a mask doesn’t just save lives, it saves money.*

Mask mandates have been shown to increase mask use, lower the number of new COVID-19 cases, and save lives. However, improved health outcomes are not the only benefit to wearing face masks. People living in states with mask mandates for employees were more likely to be confident they could protect themselves from COVID-19, which leads to higher consumer confidence. An economic analysis by Goldman Sachs found that universal masking in the U.S. could prevent the need for lockdowns and reduce economic losses of up to $1 trillion or about 5% of the U.S. gross domestic product.

Individuals would also benefit financially by face mask use. Economists have shown that as the GDP falls, consumers see higher prices for goods and services. Jobs also disappear during times of economic downturn. Goldman Sachs estimates that if universal masking prevents a 5% loss to the GDP, Americans would save roughly $3,000 per person.

*https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/masking-science-sars-cov2.html

https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/pages/face-masks-and-gdp.html

How long does an employee need to stay home after testing positive for COVID-19?

Stay home if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or test positive, even if you are vaccinated or had COVID before. Stay at home except to get medical care. You should not come to the child care facility, work, travel, or go to other activities or gatherings.

If you have symptoms, stay home until:

You have been fever-free for 24 hours without using medicine to lower your fever,
Your symptoms have improved for 24 hours,
It has been at least 5 days from the day you were tested. The day you test positive is called day 0. Stay home until it has been 5 full days after you test positive (days 1-5). You must stay home for at least 5 days.

You may need to stay at home longer than 5 days if your symptoms have not gotten better. Some symptoms, like losing your sense of taste or smell, can last for weeks or months even though you are no longer infectious and don’t need to stay home anymore. Learn more here.

Wear a well-fitting mask around others and in public for another 5 more days after you end your isolation at home.

If you never had symptoms, stay home until:

It has been at least 5 days since the day you were tested. The day you test positive is called day 0. Stay home until it has been 5 full days after you test positive (days 1-5). You must stay home for at least 5 days.

If you get sick or develop symptoms, your 5-day isolation at home starts over. Learn more here.

Wear a well-fitting mask around others and in public for another 5 more days after you end your isolation at home.

You are infectious and can spread the virus to others starting up to 2 days before you first had symptoms until your isolation period is over. If you never had symptoms, you are infectious starting 2 days before the day you were tested for COVID-19. Anyone who came into close contact with you during this time is exposed.

How long does an employee need to stay home after being exposed to COVID-19?

Everyone needs to wear a well-fitting mask around other people for 10 days after they are exposed to someone with COVID-19.

Some people may also need to quarantine at home for 5 days. You don’t need to quarantine at home if you tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days (about 3 months). You also don’t need to quarantine at home if you are up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccinations. This means you’ve had:

A booster dose of any COVID-19 vaccine, or
A 2nd dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in the last 5 months, or
A Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in the last 2 months.
Children younger than 18 are considered up-to-date if they’ve had 2 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. A booster dose is not included in the definition of up-to-date yet for children.

You need to quarantine at home for 5 days if:

You are unvaccinated. This means you haven’t had any doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
You are not up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccinations.
It’s been more than 90 days since you tested positive for COVID-19 and you’re not up-to-date with your vaccinations.

If you can’t wear a mask after being exposed or after ending a 5-day quarantine at home, the CDC recommends you stay at home for 10 days instead of 5.

We also recommend you get tested 5 days after your last close contact with the person who has COVID-19 to make sure you’re not possibly spreading the virus to others. If you test positive or develop symptoms, isolate at home right away. If it’s been less than 90 days (about 3 months) since you first tested positive for COVID-19 and you don’t have any new symptoms, you don’t need to get tested again during this 90-day timeframe.

Watch for symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested if you get sick. It is important to keep checking for symptoms and take extra safety precautions.

How long does an employee need to stay home if they are living with someone who tests positive COVID-19?

People who live with someone who has COVID-19 are called household contacts. Household contacts are at a much higher risk of getting infected with the virus.

You will need to quarantine at home for at least 5 days if you live with someone who has COVID-19 and you are unvaccinated, or not up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccinations, or it’s been more than 90 days since you had COVID-19. It can be very hard to stay away from people who have COVID-19 and live in your home. This means you may need to quarantine at home longer than 5 days if you can’t stay away from the person who has COVID-19. Every time you come into close contact with the person who tested positive while they are still in isolation, your quarantine starts over.

Keep yourself and others in the house safe by wearing a mask around the person who has COVID-19. Get tested if you get sick or have symptoms.

Do employees have to quarantine at home if they’ve already had COVID-19?

If it has been less than 90 days (about 3 months) since you tested positive for COVID-19, you don’t have to quarantine at home. The CDC and Utah Department of Health recommends you not get tested if it’s been less than 90 days (about 3 months) since you first tested positive for COVID-19, as long as you don’t have new or worsening symptoms. Call a doctor to see if you may have gotten reinfected if you have new or worse symptoms during this 90-day timeframe. We know there is a small chance you could get reinfected with COVID. Some people will continue to test positive even though they are no longer able to spread the virus to others. However, if it’s been more than 90 days since you tested positive and you are not up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccinations, you need to quarantine at home and get tested 5 days after your exposure.

You should follow these guidelines for 10 days from the date of your last exposure:

Check for symptoms of COVID-19 every day.
Wear a well-fitting mask when you are around people you don’t live with.
If you get sick or have symptoms of COVID-19, isolate and call a doctor or healthcare provider to determine if you should get tested for COVID-19 again.

Take these safety precautions after being exposed to COVID-19

Limit the number of visitors to your home while you are in quarantine.
Wear a mask around others. It’s important to wear a mask in public and around others until it has been 10 days since you were exposed to COVID-19. Avoid going to places where it is hard to wear a mask during these 10 days, such as a gym or restaurant.
Check for symptoms of COVID-19 every day for 10 days after your exposure, including taking your temperature if possible. A helpful booklet called, “What to do if you are in quarantine or isolation” can help you know how to check your symptoms and what to do. Get tested right away if you have symptoms of COVID-19 during quarantine.
Get tested at least 5 days after you last had close contact with the person who has COVID-19. If you test negative, you can leave your home as long as you wear a mask around others. If you test positive, isolate at home.
Stay away from people who are immunocompromised or at higher risk for getting very sick from COVID-19. You should not visit a long-term care facility, nursing home, or other high risk setting until it has been at least 10 days since you were exposed to COVID-19.
Don’t travel until your quarantine is over. Get tested at least 5 days after you were exposed and make sure your test result is negative before traveling. Don’t travel if you have symptoms of COVID-19. Wear a mask around others if you travel.

Get more information about:

Healthy customers. Healthy employees. Healthy economy.

Keeping your business open if an employee is exposed to or tests positive for COVID-19

COVID-19 vaccines

Case investigations and contact tracing

Testing

Scenarios

Cleaning

Protect your operations

Protect your workplace

Protect your employees

Resources

Additional resources

David Eccles School of Business at The University of Utah

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EDCUtah

EDCUtah works with state and local government and private industry to attract and grow competitive, high-value companies and spur the expansion of local Utah businesses.

As a resource to local economic developers in Utah, EDCUtah has launched an Economic Recovery Resources for Utah Communities webpage. The resource will help others learn about what’s being done to rise to COVID-19’s economic challenges. Please consider this a bulletin board for sharing best practices and lessons learned with Utah colleagues. We encourage your participation.

Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute

National Association of Counties

National Association of Regional Councils

Northern Utah Economic Response Team

Salt Lake Chamber

Salt Lake City Economic Development

Salt Lake County Regional Development

Suazo Business Center

Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control

Utah Department of Heritage & Arts

Through its seven divisions, the Department of Heritage & Arts is committed to providing resources regarding COVID-19 volunteer initiatives and economic relief funds to the nonprofit sector. We particularly strive to focus on supporting our multicultural and diverse community of residents in Utah and the Navajo Nation, and we encourage businesses to contact our staff if we can provide any guidance in building and nurturing these inclusive relationships.

Cultural Community Weekly Update Calls
The Department of Heritage & Arts and Division of Arts & Museums, in association with state and local arts partners, host a weekly update call to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on the cultural sector, available relief, and inspirational stories. Organizations and individuals can register for the call and find transcripts of past calls here.

Utah Department of Workforce Services

The Department of Workforce Services is closely monitoring the coronavirus pandemic and providing services to Utah workers. It maintains a webpage of COVID-19 resources, including unemployment insurance, child care, food and energy assistance, here.

Rapid Response services can help reduce unemployment insurance costs and minimize disruption if you have to lay-off staff because of COVID-19. Learn more from Utah’s Department of Workforce Services here.

Returning to Work

April 21, 2020 — DWS has provided information and instructions for returning to work. Here’s a PDF for employers, and here’s a PDF for workers.

Executive Order Regarding Rent and Evictions

On April 1, 2020, Gov. Herbert signed an executive order, “suspending certain statutes governing eviction proceedings.” This order protects residential tenants most impacted by COVID-19 against eviction through May 15, 2020. DWS and the Economic Response Task Force provide instructions for landlords, tenants, and conditions of eligibility for eviction protection in this PDF.

Utah Education and Telehealth Network

Utah Film Commission

Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development

Utah Governor's Office of Energy Development

Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation

Visit Salt Lake

Workers' Compensation Insurance

World Trade Center Utah

World Trade Center Utah (WTC Utah) provides international business solutions to fight COVID-19 headwinds. The organization shares office space with GOED and is the state’s leading organization focused on advancing Utah’s global business reach and bringing foreign investment to the state. WTC Utah is actively providing grant funding, international matchmaking, webinars and international resources for Utah businesses engaged in the global marketplace. Webinars include training on force majeure and contracts, the view from China during COVID-19, recent changes to employment laws, and how to receive Federal resources and planning. Learn more here.

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