California Capitol faces COVID outbreak of 7 new cases, including 2 breakthrough cases

The California Capitol is experiencing an outbreak of seven new COVID-19 cases, all within the same Assembly office, just weeks after it opened its doors to the public and began lifting certain pandemic rules.

The cases have all been reported this week in memos that Assembly Rules Chief Administrative Officer Debra Gravert sent to staff and members.

Two of the employees who tested positive were fully vaccinated, a Thursday note included, and all reportedly wore masks while in the office.

The workers were all recently in the Capitol. One employee was last in the building on Tuesday. It’s unclear which office the employees worked in, but all are adhering to quarantine recommendations. Members and staff who came into contact with any of the cases have also been notified and are being tested, the memos include.

Unvaccinated members and staff were required to get tested for COVID-19 on Thursday in the basement of the Capitol, per recommendations from the California Department of Public Health. Vaccinated individuals were encouraged to get swabbed. Results were expected within 24 hours.

“This step is necessary in order to identify and manage any other cases of COVID-19, symptomatic or asymptomatic, within our workforce,” Gravert wrote on June 30.

The Senate and Assembly had previously asked members and their staff to submit proof of vaccination to the Capitol Health Services Clinic.

On Twitter, Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, called for the Legislature to require vaccination for legislative employees.

“All public employees — including all employees of the Legislature — should be mandated to get a COVID vaccine, absent a medical reason,” Wiener wrote. “Public employees not getting vaccinated puts others at risk & undermines government’s ability to serve the public. It’s not acceptable.”

On June 15, when California shed its mask mandate and other COVID-19 guidelines, the Capitol began allowing up to 500 members of the public into the building. The statehouse had largely stayed shut to outsiders since March 2020, when COVID-19 forced a stay-at-home order in much of the state and Sacramento County.

Gravert and Secretary of the Senate Erika Contreras then updated the Capitol’s COVID-19 rules to still require face coverings in common areas of the building, regardless of vaccination status.

Vaccinated individuals are allowed to take their masks off while in their own offices, even if others aren’t vaccinated, and can attend work events without face coverings.

Unvaccinated workers are not authorized to remove their masks unless they were alone in a room or while eating and at a distance from others. They are also not allowed to attend indoor work events or district meetings without face coverings.

Unvaccinated legislators and employees are also mandated to get tested weekly on Mondays at Cal Expo and are barred from entering the building without a negative result.

Gravert stressed to all workers that they should not come to work if they are infected, feeling sick or awaiting a test result.

“As we prepare for Independence Day,” Gravert ended her latest memo, “I want to remind those who remain unvaccinated to protect themselves by wearing a mask and avoiding crowds to prevent transmission and illness.”

This story was originally published July 1, 2021 at 3:25 PM.