Businesses
Reopening Guidance
Businesses that are permitted to open may find guidelines and checklists for safety measures on the Reopen Placer website.
Outbreak Guidance
Starting January 1, 2021, California AB 685 requires businesses to report all COVID-19 related outbreaks in their workplace to their local health department.
An outbreak is defined as three or more confirmed COVID-19 cases within a 14-day period that are from different households. Only cases associated with an outbreak need to be reported to the local health department.
Steps for Placer County employers when reporting COVID-19 related outbreaks:
Placer County utilizes the Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT) to gather information about workplace outbreaks. To begin submitting the required AB 685 reporting information through the SPOT platform, you will first need to request access to SPOT.
Requesting Access to SPOT
Step One: Complete the application (linked below) to submit a SPOT Account Request Form.
- AB685 SPOT Account Request Form (ENGLISH)
- AB685 SPOT Account Request Form (SPANISH)
Note: While the completion of the application is the first step of reporting (thereby meeting the 24-hour requirement in place by Cal/OSHA), you will still need to submit case information once you receive access to SPOT to be fully compliant.
Step Two: Once you have submitted your request, the Placer County Case Investigation office will review your form and email you with the next steps. The Placer County Case Investigation office is open Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM. The office is closed on all county holidays. If you submit your account request over the weekend or on a county holiday, your request will be reviewed the next workday.
Using SPOT To Report COVID-19 Related Outbreaks
Step One: Refer to the instructions in the email you received from the Placer County Case Investigation office and complete all required information for positive COVID-19 cases associated to the outbreak through SPOT.
Step Two: Complete contact tracing for your workplace to identify close contacts of the COVID-19 positive cases. You do not need to report close contact information to Placer County Public Health.
Step Three: Each additional COVID-19 case related to an outbreak (within 14 days from the first identified case) should be reported through SPOT.
Testing resources can be found here. Other resources:
- AB 685 bill text
- Employer FAQs about AB 685 (CDPH)
- Employer Guidance on AB 685: Definitions (CDPH)
- COVID-19 Infection Prevention Requirements (AB 685) (Cal/OSHA)
- Responding to COVID-19 in the Workplace for Employers (CDPH)
- Employer Playbook for a Safe Reopening (CDPH & Cal/OSHA)
- Industry Guidance to Reduce Risk (CDPH)
- Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Standards: Cal/OSHA's COVID-19 regulation, which includes special requirements for outbreaks and large outbreaks (Sections 3205.1 and 3205.2).
- Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards Frequently Asked Questions (PDF): Additional Information about Cal/OSHA's new regulation.
- Placer County Contact Tracing Tool (Excel): Optional spreadsheet to assist with contact tracing
Isolation and Quarantine Guidance
Isolation and quarantine guidance for individuals who have or are exposed to COVID-19 can be found here.
Other Resources
For financial resources including assistance navigating loan and grant programs, visit the Placer County Business Resource Center website, call 916-770-8380 or email [email protected]