SMUD restricting nonessential employee travel amid coronavirus concerns
Amid growing concerns over the spread of coronavirus in the Sacramento area, officials at the Sacramento Municipal Utility District announced Friday that they would be immediately suspending all non-critical employee travel.
In a news release, Sacramento County’s public electricity provider said travel restrictions would be in place at least through the end of March in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among employees.
This week, Sacramento County health officials announced the first coronavirus case of unknown origin — indicating transmission through community exposure — in a patient currently being treated at UC Davis Medical Center.
Health officials later warned that further coronavirus cases should be expected in Sacramento County in the following days, potentially from UC Davis Medical Center employees.
SMUD hopes that restricting travel will help limit the number of employees who may come into contact with the virus at airports, conferences and business meetings.
The utility will be banning international travel to countries with high concentrations of coronavirus patients, such as China, where the virus emerged in late 2019, as well as South Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan.
SMUD will permit travel to accommodate business necessities, such as required compliance training, employee certifications, critical contract purchases and equipment acquisition. It is recommending video teleconferencing, rather than in-person training whenever possible.
“SMUD realizes that the COVID-19 situation is continually evolving, so approved travel locations would be dependent on current CDC alert levels within the states,” the utility district said.
After 30 days, SMUD will reassess the situation and determine further travel restrictions. The company also said all employees who may have been exposed to the coronavirus will be asked to stay at home and isolate themselves for 14 days, per public health guidelines.
“SMUD has always been vigilant in maintaining a safe work environment,” the utility district said. “SMUD has been proactively monitoring the coronavirus since the outbreak began in China.”
SMUD facilities have received extra cleanings in order to deter the spread of contagions and the utility district said it has kept a supply of medical masks and gloves for employees.
With more than 2,200 employees, the utility is one of the county’s largest employers.
This story was originally published February 28, 2020 at 6:46 PM.
