• Get vaccinated
• Wear a mask
• Stay six (6) feet (2 arm lengths) away from others
• Avoid crowds
• Wash your hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer often for at least 20 seconds
• Cover coughs and sneezes
• Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces daily
• Be alert for symptoms

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. The list below are some common symptoms but does not include all possible symptoms.

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Isolate that employee from others and email covid-19hr@tuscaloosa.com or text 205-534-8637 (Melissa) with the employees name, symptoms and date symptoms began. We will evaluate and likely refer the employee to First Care, MedCenter or Emergicare. We require a rapid and a PCR test. If the employee is tested, we will place them on paid leave pending results of both tests. The employee should report the results as soon as they are received and provide a copy of the results. The employee should not return to work until cleared by IC-HR.

Notify IC-HR. We will require a copy of the test results. Do not disclose to others that the employee has tested positive. This would be a violation of their protected health information. IC-HR will determine close contacts that meet the exposure criteria. If an employee is determined to have been exposed, they may be placed on paid leave for a period of time.

Anyone that is within six (6) feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24 hour period.

Isolate the employee and email covid-19hr@tuscaloosa.comor text 205-534-8637 (Melissa) with:

• Employee name
• Relation of the positive individual (friend, co-worker, household member, etc.)
• Date the employee last had contact with the positive individual
• Date the individual tested positive. We will require a copy of the individual’s test results.
• A determination will be made as to whether the employee can continue to work.

Isolate that employee from others and email covid-19hr@tuscaloosa.comor text 205-534-8637 (Melissa) with the employees name and whether they are symptomatic/asymptomatic. A determination will be made as to whether the employee can continue to work.

People are considered fully vaccinated:

• 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
• 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

If these requirements are not met, regardless of age, the individual is NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautionsuntil fully vaccinated.

The Expanded Family Medical Leave Act and Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act which provided paid leave in this situation expired on December 31, 2020. The employee is considered a second hand exposure and should continue to work or utilize accrued time to care for the child. If the child becomes symptomatic and is tested, refer to “Employee reports that a household member has been tested”

Remote work requests are subject to the approval/denial of the department head if such request is not medically related. If the request is approved, the details should be reported to covid-19hr@tuscaloosa.com for tracking purposes. If the request is medically related, email covid-19hr@tuscaloosa.com for evaluation and a determination.

NOTE: Please remember that employee medical/health information must be protected at all times. This includes vaccination status.