On January 6, 2021, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) updated its November 13, 2020 travel advisory concerning non-essential interstate travel and the quarantine period for individuals who engage in such travel.

The new CDPH guidance makes two important changes to its prior travel advisory including: (1) reducing the recommended self-quarantine period from 14 to 10 days for individuals who travel to California from other states and countries; and (2) expanding the scope of its recommendation against non-essential international and interstate to also include certain intrastate travel.

CDPH’s reduction of the recommended quarantine period for individuals who engage in interstate and international travel is consistent with December 2 guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the same subject. In that guidance, the CDC recommends that travelers reduce non-essential activities for 10 days following travel, consider getting tested for COVID-19 3-5 days after the trip and observe other COVID-19-related health and safety measures.

The CDPH guidance also expands the advisory against non-essential international and intrastate travel to include intrastate travel of more than 120 miles from the individual’s home or place of residence. Many local public health authorities now require that travelers from outside their county or region observe mandatory self-quarantines upon their arrival in the jurisdiction.

While the new CDPH guidance remains advisory in nature and therefore imposes no new requirements on employers concerning employee travel, employers should be familiar with the changes described above. Furthermore, employers should remember to follow all applicable local health orders, including those that may restrict non-essential international, interstate or intrastate travel or that require a mandatory quarantine period for individuals who engage in such travel.

If you have questions about this travel advisory and how it may affect your operations, LCW attorneys are available to answer your questions.

 

 

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Photo of Peter J. Brown Peter J. Brown

Peter has a unique talent in promptly developing an expertise in most of the laws which impact our public agency clients, including the labor relations statutes and those which the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family Medical Leave Acts.  Many of the firm’s…

Peter has a unique talent in promptly developing an expertise in most of the laws which impact our public agency clients, including the labor relations statutes and those which the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family Medical Leave Acts.  Many of the firm’s clients have come to rely on his advice in guiding them in these constantly changing areas of law as well as on problem solving many of the labor issues our clients face.

Photo of Alexander Volberding Alexander Volberding

Alex has spent his career working for and with public agencies. He is a member of the firm’s Labor Relations practice group and has broad and deep experience working with a wide range of collective bargaining statutes, including the National Labor Relation Act…

Alex has spent his career working for and with public agencies. He is a member of the firm’s Labor Relations practice group and has broad and deep experience working with a wide range of collective bargaining statutes, including the National Labor Relation Act (“NLRA”) and the Meyers-Milias-Brown-Act (“MMBA”). Alex is well-versed in bargaining strategy and tactics and negotiates collective bargaining agreements with employee organizations and Project Labor Agreements (“PLAs”) with building and construction trades councils. When he is not bargaining, Alex regularly provides advice and counsel to clients navigating meet and confer obligations and in administrative proceedings defending clients against unfair practice charges and in arbitrations defending clients against contractual grievances.