Business News
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- Written by: California Department of Public Health
Health care facilities, other congregate settings and schools will no longer be required to administer weekly COVID-19 testing of unvaccinated and under vaccinated workers.
The changes take effect this Saturday, Sept. 17.
The state’s vaccination and booster requirements for employees in healthcare, correctional health, and adult residential settings remain in effect.
In addition, changes to the vaccine-or-test policy regarding state workers will be announced separately by CalHR.
“We’ve entered a phase of the pandemic where the majority of people in these workplace settings are vaccinated, and our youngest Californians are now eligible for vaccination too, which protects all of our communities against severe illness, hospitalization and death,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón. “While unvaccinated individuals remain at greatest risk of serious health consequences from COVID-19 infection, weekly testing of unvaccinated groups is no longer slowing the spread as it did earlier in the pandemic due to the more infectious Omicron variants.”
State public health leaders urge all individuals to stay up-to-date on the COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves from severe illness and slow the spread of the virus.
As Omicron variants keep emerging, the updated booster is an important tool against severe illnesses, hospitalization, long COVID, and death.
California expects to receive more than one million doses of the updated booster and will have ample supply to meet demand.
While weekly testing requirements are ending, employers and schools are encouraged to continue providing testing resources to staff and students to slow the spread of COVID-19 in all communities.
Vaccination and testing are two key measures that help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, as is masking and improving indoor ventilation.
The state has distributed another round of 10 million at-home tests to K-12 schools and continues to support additional testing resources for schools as well as school and community testing sites, some of which offer COVID-19 treatments.
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- Written by: Governor's Office
AB 257, the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), authorizes the creation of the Fast Food Council comprised of representatives from labor and management to set minimum standards for workers in the industry, including for wages, conditions related to health and safety, security in the workplace, the right to take time off from work for protected purposes and protection from discrimination and harassment.
“California is committed to ensuring that the men and women who have helped build our world-class economy are able to share in the state’s prosperity,” said Gov. Newsom on Monday. “Today’s action gives hardworking fast-food workers a stronger voice and seat at the table to set fair wages and critical health and safety standards across the industry. I’m proud to sign this legislation on Labor Day when we pay tribute to the workers who keep our state running as we build a stronger, more inclusive economy for all Californians.”
Members of the Fast Food Council at the Department of Industrial Relations will include fast food workers and their advocates, franchisees, franchisors and representatives from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and the Department of Industrial Relations.
For full text of the bill, visit http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
Under the Newsom Administration, California has made important strides to support workers and advance workplace safety.
Last year, the governor signed legislation to protect warehouse workers from unsafe production quotas and nation-leading legislation to end exploitative piece-rate compensation for garment industry workers.
The governor also signed a measure directing Cal/OSHA to create an advisory committee to recommend state policies to protect domestic workers and a bill to ensure that workers with disabilities are paid a fair wage.
In 2019, the governor signed legislation giving child care workers the right to join a union and collectively bargain with the state.
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- Written by: Lake County Chamber of Commerce
They are also now meeting with interested business and community leaders who would like to volunteer to mentor our youth.
Created out of a desire to help guide young adults of Lake County through and beyond the effects of the 2020 pandemic and into a career focused and citizenship engaged mindset, the Lake County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors spearheaded a one-of-a-kind mentorship program.
The Youth Mentorship Program is a practical, skill building program designed to assist young adults with tools and resources to help them secure jobs, learn to be career minded and become goal setters early on.
The Youth Mentorship program is open to young adults ages 18 to 24. The mentees are mentored by Lake County business leaders, carefully curated to provide training to build skills and confidence.
The program is delivered in collaboration with both Mendocino Community College and Woodland Community College faculty.
The Lake County Chamber of Commerce is proud of a highly successful first run in 2021, led by leadership coach Gretchen Mills, where participants attended weekly virtual classes led by academic faculty and local subject matter experts, met one on one with mentors to learn valuable job skills, and received collectible feedback.
The program is designed to better prepare our youngest citizens to be strong members of our workforce, meeting a great need that many in our business community face.
To accomplish this, the chamber is seeking supportive community and business leaders to volunteer to train and guide young people in the seven-week program.
As a result of the 2021 pilot program, six mentees successfully completed the training earning much more than a certificate of completion and a graduation ceremony, the mentees exited the program with the knowledge that they have the skill and ability to achieve career goals and are valuable citizens in the community.
“We are happy to share the success of one mentee who secured full-time employment shortly after graduation, and another who began an entrepreneurial endeavor selling clothing and crafts at farmer’s markets and festivals,” the chamber said in a statement.
Graduates of the Youth Mentorship Program are also often invited to other opportunities to connect with community leaders.
For example, all 2021 graduates of the Youth Mentorship Program received scholarships from the Lake County Chamber of Commerce to the Lake Leadership Forum held in June.
To apply to become a mentor or a mentee for this exciting program, please visit http://tinyurl.com/lakementorship.
Applications will be accepted through Sept. 2. Please reach out with any questions to
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- Written by: Lake County Air Quality Management District
Replacement with cleaner equipment helps reduce emissions of harmful diesel exhaust and greenhouse gases, and improves local air quality.
The statewide Funding Agricultural Replacement Measures for Emission Reductions, or FARMER, program received $212 million in fiscal year 2021-22.
Approximately $8.5 million is specifically designated for 17 air districts that each contribute less than 1 percent of total statewide emissions from agricultural equipment.
The application period for the “shared funding pool” starts Monday, August 1, and runs through August 31, 2022. FARMER funding is administered by California air districts, and farmers apply by submitting an application to the Lake County Air Quality Management District, or LCAQMD.
To be eligible, vehicles and equipment must be engaged in agricultural operations. Eligible project categories include:
• On-road heavy-duty agricultrual trucks;
• Off-road vehicles, such as tractors;
• Stationary and portable engine sources, such as agricultural pumps;
• Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTV), or small tractors, (eligible for replacement with electric UTV); and
• Infrastructure engaged in, or supporting, agricultural operations.
Since the FARMER Program first launched in 2018, projects implemented statewide will reduce 1,120 tons of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), 18,700 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), and 169,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases.
Application forms and program details are available at http://www.capcoa.org/farmer-program.
Application forms must be submitted to the LCAQMD office at 2617 S. Main St., Lakeport, CA 95453, or submit by email at
Applications must be received at the LCAQMD office no later than Aug. 31, 2022, in order to be considered for funding.
Do not wait for the last minute, submit your application as soon as possible.
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