COVID-19 Update

May 28, 2020

REOPENING SAN FRANCISCO-CLARIFICATION There was some confusion created by Mayor Breed with her announcements today. Dentists may continue to provide dental care under Health Directive 2020-09b , dated May 18, 2020, as long as the provisions outlined in that directive are met. Dental appointments are listed in Phases 1 & 2a of the Reopening Plan as noted at SF.GOV Reopening Information.

WORKERS COMP AND COVID-19 Earlier this month (May 6, 2020), Governor Gavin Newsom in his Executive Order N-62-20, extended workers comp benefits to employees who contract COVID-19 while working outside their homes. The presumption is that employees were most likely infected at work and therefore are entitled to workers' compensation benefits. This shifts the burden to employers who may present evidence to rebut the presumption when claims are filed. The order basically states than an employee will be presumed to have contracted the virus at work if all of the below are met: The employee must test positive for or be diagnosed with COVID-19 within 14 days following a day the individual worked at their employer’s job-site at the employer’s direction; The day the employee worked at their employer’s job-site was on or after March 19, 2020; The employer’s job-site is not the employee’s home or residence; and If the employee is diagnosed with COVID-19, the diagnosis was done by a medical doctor and confirmed by a positive test for COVID-19 within 30 days of the date of the diagnosis. Employees claiming COVID-19-related illnesses are eligible for all workers' compensation benefits, including "full hospital, surgical, medical treatment, disability indemnity, and death benefits." There is no waiting period for temporary disability benefits, but an employee entitled to COVID-19 paid sick leave must exhaust that paid leave first. The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has posted a Question and Answer page clarifying certain aspects of Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-62-20 related to the extension of benefits. The guidance confirms that the presumption applies to all employees that are working at their employer’s direction outside of their homes or residence between March 19, 2020, and July 5, 2020, regardless of whether they were working in “essential” industries or providing “essential” services. Although this executive order has a July expiration date, there are several bills pending in the California State Legislature to extend this presumption.

CDA Board of Trustee’s Report 5/22/2020 The CDA board of trustees (BOT) has been meeting weekly. In an effort to keep members informed, your trustees, Dr. Gail Duffala and Dr. Courtney Fitzpatrick , will provide brief, weekly meeting recaps. The trustees met Friday, May 22:   We received an update from Dr. N. Lee and Dr. J. Kumar (state dental director) on our state efforts regarding COVID-19. These two speakers will be presenting at the CDA Membership Meeting on Tuesday May 26th at 5:30pm. Registration is required. Attendance encouraged. We received an update regarding our Advocacy Efforts from Carrie Gordon. The State’s budget proposal has been released and contains significant cuts to the Prop 56 funding in the Denti-Cal program.  Students will be taking a mannequin-based exam for licensure CDA is working on a Public Awareness Campaign Program including media blasts, public service announcements, general membership webinars, and the Back to Practice Tool Kit for members (on website). CDA Journal was released digitally.

CDA’s Back to Practice Resources , which complements ADA’s Toolkit , is designed to help members prepare for a return to routine care, once PPE becomes more readily available. The resources include: Preparing your Practice, Patient Care, and Practice Management.

EMERGENCY PPE AVAILABLE NOW TO CALIFORNIA DENTISTS VIA TDSC Following advocacy efforts to support dentists getting back to practice, the California Dental Association worked with state officials to secure limited quantities of critical PPE that is in short supply through traditional, commercial distribution channels. The PPE will be distributed to dentists via The Dentists Supply Company (TDSC) , a CDA subsidiary. We are hearing that some members are having difficulty accessing TDCS. This is due to the increased demand, and we encourage you to keep trying.    What you need to know: Supplies were provided from the state's emergency resources and included surgical masks, N95 and KN95 masks, face shields and surgical gowns. TDSC.com staff repackaged the supplies as evenly as possible into kits to maximize their distribution to all licensed dentists in California, regardless of whether the dentist is a CDA member. There will be 1 kit available to each licensed dentist. The supplies are being provided free of charge, but there will be a $20 charge to cover a portion of shipping and handling. Orders will be fulfilled on a first come, first served basis and only while supplies last. To ensure products are being distributed to licensed dentists within the state (regardless of membership status), dentists will need to have a free TDSC.com account and upload proof of licensure to place an order. NOTE: If you already have a TDSC account, you will still need to log in and check a box for the product AND to verify what address you want things shipped to. For faster processing time, place an order with the PPE kit only. If you need additional items, purchase those on a separate order.

FEATURED UPDATES on ADA.org/virus: ADA NEWS: HPI polling shows dental practices recovering as states reopen (5/26/2020) LIVE WEBINAR: Wednesday, June 3, 1pm CT: Rubber Dam 101 NEW GUIDANCE: COVID-19 Hazard Assessment & Checklist

SFDPH Recommending Testing for Asymptomatic Essential Workers As local COVID-19 diagnostic testing capacity has increased, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) is recommending that SF asymptomatic front-line or essential workers be tested. However, at this time, you cannot mandate that your staff be tested as a condition of returning to work. Click here to read the SFDPH Health Advisory.

Viva Online CE - Free for Active SFDS Members   No charge for Viva webinars for qualified SFDS members Infection control and CA Dental Practice Act courses available Earn live interactive CEU On-demand CE Dental Podcasts Clinical and Practice Management Courses Learn from the comfort of your home World class speakers and clinicians Approved ADA CERP Provider Seats for live webinars are limited   If you would like to utilize this useful option and need login credentials, contact the SFDS at 415-928-7337 or membership@sfds.org .

Quick-links from the SFDS COVID-19 News Page

SFDS SFDS Published COVID-19 UPDATES since March 16, 2020 CDA CDA.org/covid19 CDA COVID-19 FAQs CDA COVID-19 Related Webinar Series ADA American Dental Association (ADA)  ADA COVID-19 Resources for Dentists  ADA Interim Guidance Flowcharts for Minimizing Risk of COVID-19 Transmission OSHA Guidelines OSHA Guidelines for CV19 Other Helpful Links San Francisco Coronavirus (COVID-19) Health Orders (Complete List) SF.Gov Coronavirus Information (updated daily) SF.Gov Essential Business Posting Protocols San Francisco Coronavirus (COVID-19) Health Orders California Department of Public Health COVID-19 Guidance for Dentistry  California Department of Public Health Office of Public Affairs California Covid-19 Response CDC Interim Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center