COVID-19 Update

CITY OF MEMPHIS COVID-19 WHAT TO DO FACT SHEET

Version 5.0 Updated March 8, 2024

GENERAL EMPLOYEE CITY OF MEMPHIS RETURN TO WORK STRATEGY

The City of Memphis is using a symptom-based strategy for employees based on CDC guidelines.

**Police and Fire employees should use their department protocols. Please use the current sick leave or COVID-19 (WS-04) policy for pay treatment guidance.

WHEN CAN AN EMPLOYEE WITH A POSITIVE COVID-19 TEST AND/OR AN EMPLOYEE WITH SYMPTOMS (REGARDLESS OF TEST RESULTS) RETURN TO WORK?

Employees (regardless of vaccination status) may return to work when they meet the following criteria as recommended by the CDC:

1. Cold/ Flu-like Symptoms but no positive test result (this includes not tested, waiting for test results, and negative tests):

The employee should NOT come to work sick and should seek medical attention and/or take a COVID-19 test (or other applicable tests for respiratory viruses, such as RSV and the flu), to confirm diagnosis. Sick employees risk infecting others, who, in turn, can go home and infect their families.

If an employee displays cold/flu-like symptoms, they should not come to work, for example:

• Fatigue
• Fever (>100.4° F) or chills
• Sore throat
• Persistent cough
• Muscle or body aches
• Congestion or runny nose
• Shortness of breath or
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Difficulty breathing
• New loss of taste or smell
• Diarrhea

*** This list does not include all possible symptoms of infectious diseases.

Employees who test negative for COVID-19 should utilize sick leave while displaying cold/flu-like symptoms and can return to work if their symptoms have significantly improved and they have been fever-free for 24 hours without taking any fever-reducing medication.

2. COVID-19 positive test result:

If an employee has a positive COVID-19 test result, the CDC suggests treating COVID-19 like other respiratory viruses (such as RSV and/or the flu) and returning to normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, symptoms are improving overall, and if a fever was present, it has been gone for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication. In line with this updated CDC guidance, employees who test positive for COVID-19 should comply with the following updated rules:

a. Employees MUST stay home from work if they (1) have tested positive for COVID-19, and (2)are exhibiting cold/flu-like symptoms and/or have a fever (or require fever-reducing medicine to be fever-free).

b. Employees SHOULD return to work if they test positive for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic, so long as they are willing/able to wear a well-fitting mask for five (5) days following their positive test.

c. Employees SHOULD return to work as long as:

• The Employee has been fever-free for 24 hours without taking any fever-reducing
  medication;
• Symptoms have significantly improved or resolved per CDC guidance (“A person is
  starting to feel better, and the body is returning to normal after an infection”);
• They are willing/able to wear a well-fitting mask and take other precautions (such as
  maintaining physical distance as possible) for an additional five (5) days upon their
  return to work.                           

Does an employee need a clearance letter before they can return to work? No

For all Infectious disease questions contact

Workplace Safety & Compliance at :

(901)-636-7413 or email [email protected]

Note: Any City of Memphis employee (including managers and supervisors) who makes a false statement of material fact in connection with his or her job, including a misrepresentation or falsification of diagnosis or illness, will be in violation of policy EDI-04 and may be subject to discipline, up to and including termination.

For other important guidance information, please click on the “What to Do” fact sheet located at the top of the page.