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By Teresa Anderson, Public Policy Director, The Arc/UCP California Collaboration
On September 14, 2022, the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) issued an update to the COVID-19 policy to align with California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidance. Several public health orders have either been repealed or amended, most notably, the repeal of orders that required weekly testing for unvaccinated employees and schools. As of September 17, 2022, unvaccinated employees in health care, long-term care, high-risk congregate care, and other health care settings, along with school personnel will no longer be required to test weekly for COVID-19 [unless required for federal compliance]. There are several other orders that have been amended, however, existing vaccination and booster requirements have not changed. In addition, masks are still required in some settings including health care, long-term care, senior care, state and local correctional facilities, and homeless shelters. There are significant changes to many COVID related polices as well as recommendations for preparation in the event of future surges in COVID. Policy changes and guidance can be found here: https://www.dds.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/COVID_19_Policy_Updates_09142022.pdf