MSD Employees: COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19 MSD Ongoing Updates - 2021

Below you will find a list of all communication related to MSD’s COVID-19 response sent in 2021.

To find the most recent COVID-19 communications as well as a list of COVID-19 resources, visit msdprojectclear.org/msdcorona.

MSD COVID-19 Update - December 17, 2021

A regular weekly update from Bess McCoy.

EMAIL SENT December 17, 2021, 11:55 a.m.

WHATS NEW

When returning from time off, non-vaccinated employees are still required to submit a COVID-19 test per the mandatory testing program. For more information, see “Non-vaccinated employees must still participate in mandatory testing program when returning from vacation” below.
REMINDER: Follow MSD safety guidelines while celebrating the holidays. As a reminder, all workplace holiday gatherings are still prohibited. For more information, see “Follow safety guidelines while celebrating the holidays” below.
There will be no weekly updates through the end of the year due to the upcoming holidays. The next regular weekly update will be on Friday, January 7, 2022. For more information, see ” Next weekly update will be January 7, 2022″ below.
REMINDER: MSD will host a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination event on January 8. Registration is required. For more information, see “MSD to host Pfizer COVID-19 booster event…” below.
There were five new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees since the last update. For more information, see “Five Employees Tested Positive…” below.

Please find a list of MSD’s current COVID guidelines here. Additional information and resources are available at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. Please submit questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NON-VACCINATED EMPLOYEES MUST STILL PARTICIPATE IN MANDATORY TESTING PROGRAM WHEN RETURNING FROM VACATION

As many employees are planning vacation time over the holidays, please remember that if you are not fully vaccinated and your scheduled vacation does not cover an entire weekly testing interval (Section II.A.4 of the Mandatory Coronavirus (COVID-19) Testing Policy), you must submit a COVID-19 test before returning to work. Vacation time does not exempt non-vaccinated employees from the weekly testing requirement unless their vacation covers an entire testing interval. If you have questions, please talk to your manager or supervisor.

REMINDER: FOLLOW SAFETY GUIDELINES WHILE CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS

During this holiday season, please think of your fellow employees as you decide how to celebrate:

When in public, please make sure to social distance, wear a mask, and practice regular hygiene.
If you plan to participate in activities that do not adhere to MSD’s COVID-19 guidelines, including limiting in-person interaction, wearing a mask, and social distancing, please plan to take additional leave to take a COVID test or self-quarantine before returning to work.
If you take all the necessary precautions and you still find yourself in a compromising situation, please make sure you inform your supervisor so they can decide on the appropriate actions to promote a safe workplace for all employees.

As a reminder, all workplace holiday gatherings are still prohibited. MSD leadership continues to evaluate and adopt policies to promote a safe work environment; however, we all play a critical role in keeping our coworkers and our community healthy. Thank you for doing your part to contribute to a healthy and safe workplace.

NEXT WEEKLY UPDATE WILL BE JANUARY 7, 2022

As the next two Fridays are MSD holidays, there will be no weekly updates for the next two weeks. Our next weekly email will be Friday, January 7. We will continue to send updates if additional employees test positive, and if there are any major changes before January 7, we will share them in a special update. We wish you all a happy and healthy New Year.

REMINDER: MSD TO HOST PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE EVENT ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 8

The CDC now recommends COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for all adults, and MSD encourages all employees who are eligible to get boosted. Please find eligibility information in the chart below.

As Human Resources announced in previous emails, MSD will hold a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination event on Saturday, January 8, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Market Street Office.

This event is open to MSD employees, their families, and their friends to receive the following vaccines:

1st Dose
2nd Dose – Previous dose can be from another location.
Booster Dose – For those who qualify per CDC Guidelines (now available to those age 16 and older)

Registration is required and must be completed by Wednesday, January 5. Register here (Google Chrome recommended).

Please see the chart below for current eligibility guidelines.

Employees who have received a booster vaccination are invited to voluntarily submit these records to Human Resources. While employees are not required to submit these records, this information will help senior leadership better gauge the overall health and safety of the District as they continue to create policies to promote a safe work environment.

Employees may demonstrate they have received a COVID-19 booster shot by submitting their original CDC vaccination record to Human Resources at either of these locations:

The Market Street Human Resources office between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Their on-site safety coordinator

FIVE EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 166 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

As we mentioned in separate emails, five additional employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the last weekly email. This brings the total number of employees who have tested positive to date to one hundred sixty-six (166).

In the spirit of continued transparency, we have put together a graph showing employees who have reported testing positive for COVID-19 since March of 2020. The blue bars show the total number of employees who tested positive for COVID-19 each month, and the orange line shows the accumulated total number of employees who have tested positive over time.

STAY INFORMED

As always, please find the most up-to-date information on the website at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. There you will find the most recently updated MSD COVID-19 Guidelines, the most recently updated FAQ document, all COVID-19 emails, and a list of printable resources. If you have additional questions, please send them to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

Bess McCoy
Public Affairs Specialist

MSD COVID-19 Update - December 10, 2021

A regular weekly update from Bess McCoy.

EMAIL SENT December 10, 2021, 11:56 a.m.

WHATS NEW

Recent legal and political activities DO NOT change MSD’s COVID-19 guidelines, including mask requirements. Masks are still required indoors when not alone at your desk, during mobilization and demobilization, and outdoors when not distancing. For more information, see “Recent legal and political activities…” below.
MSD will host a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination event on January 8. Registration is required. For more information, see “MSD to host Pfizer COVID-19 booster event…” below.
Employees may use up to 2 additional hours of COVID-19 sick leave to receive a booster dose of the vaccine. For more information, see “Employees may use up to 2 additional hours…” below.
83% of MSD employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. MSD’s employee vaccination rate is higher than the country, state, and most wastewater utilities. For more information, see “83% of MSD employees are fully vaccinated” below.
Follow MSD safety guidelines while celebrating the holidays. As a reminder, all workplace holiday gatherings are still prohibited. For more information, see ” Follow safety guidelines while celebrating the holidays” below.
There were three new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees since the last update. For more information, see “Three Employees Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

RECENT LEGAL AND POLITICAL ACTIVITIES DO NOT CHANGE MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES; MASKS ARE STILL REQUIRED

Recent legal and political activities regarding local health orders do not affect MSD’s COVID-19 guidelines and policies. MSD will inform employees if any future actions affect our programs.

Employees are still required to wear a mask when inside an MSD facility unless they are alone at their desk (though masks are still encouraged there). Masks are still required at all times during mobilization and demobilization at yards. When outside, employees are still required to wear a mask if they cannot socially distance.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

MSD TO HOST PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE EVENT ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 8

The CDC now recommends COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for all adults. As Human Resources announced in previous emails, MSD will hold a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination event on Saturday, January 8, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Market Street Office.

This event is open to MSD employees, their families, and their friends to receive the following vaccines:

1st Dose
2nd Dose – Previous dose can be from another location.
Booster Dose – For those who qualify per CDC Guidelines (Pfizer now available to those age 16 and older)

Registration is required and must be completed by Wednesday, January 5. Register here (Google Chrome recommended).

Please see the chart below for current eligibility guidelines.

EMPLOYEES MAY USE UP TO 2 ADDITIONAL HOURS OF COVID-19 SICK LEAVE FOR BOOSTER DOSES

Employees may use up to 2 additional hours of COVID-19 sick leave to receive a booster dose from a healthcare provider. Booster doses are readily available at many pharmacies and other healthcare facilities, and employees can find providers and schedule appointments through the CDC’s Vaccine Finder.

Employees may demonstrate they have received a COVID-19 booster shot by submitting their original CDC vaccination record to Human Resources at either of these locations:

The Market Street Human Resources office between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Their on-site safety coordinator

83% OF MSD EMPLOYEES ARE FULLY VACCINATED

As of today, 83% of MSD employees are fully vaccinated. This puts us ahead of the Country, State, Service area, and almost all other wastewater utilities throughout the country. Thank you to all employees for all of your efforts to ensure we can continue to provide our customers with the essential services they depend on.

FOLLOW SAFETY GUIDELINES WHILE CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS

During this holiday season, please think of your fellow employees as you decide how to celebrate:

When in public, please make sure to social distance, wear a mask, and practice regular hygiene.
If you plan to participate in activities that do not adhere to MSD’s COVID-19 guidelines, including limiting in-person interaction, wearing a mask, and social distancing, please plan to take additional leave to take a COVID test or self-quarantine before returning to work.
If you take all the necessary precautions and you still find yourself in a compromising situation, please make sure you inform your supervisor so they can decide on the appropriate actions to promote a safe workplace for all employees.

THREE EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 161 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

As we mentioned in separate emails, three additional employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the last weekly email. This brings the total number of employees who have tested positive to date to one hundred sixty-one (161).

STAY INFORMED

Bess McCoy
Public Affairs Specialist

MSD COVID-19 Update - December 3, 2021

A regular weekly update from Bess McCoy.

EMAIL SENT December 3, 2021, 11:01 a.m.

WHATS NEW

The CDC is now recommending booster doses for all adults. Employees may use up to two additional hours of COVID-19 sick leave to receive a booster dose. For more information, see “CDC recommends COVID-19 booster vaccinations…” below.
Employees may use up to 2 additional hours of COVID-19 sick leave to receive a booster dose of the vaccine. For more information, see “Employees may use up to 2 additional hours…” below.
Senior management will consider a schedule for phasing out work-from-home options in January. There is no set schedule for phase-out, however, any phase-out will be gradual. For more information, see “No schedule for phasing out work from home…” below.
COVID 19 transmission rates in St. Louis County are high. The County is monitoring for the emergence of the Omicron variant but has not detected it. For more information, see “St. Louis in CDC’s high-transmission category…” below.
There were three new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees since the last update. For more information, see “Three Employees Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic below.

CDC RECOMMENDS COVID-19 BOOSTER VACCINATIONS FOR ALL ADULTS; MSD TO HOLD PFIZER VACCINATION EVENT JANUARY 8

The CDC now recommends COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for all adults. As Human Resources announced in an email earlier this morning, MSD will hold a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination event on Saturday, January 8, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Market Street Office.

This event is open to MSD employees, their families, and their friends to receive the following vaccines:

1st Dose
2nd Dose – Previous dose can be from another location.
Booster Dose – For those who qualify per CDC Guidelines

Registration is required and must be completed by Wednesday, January 5. Register here (Google Chrome recommended).

Please see the chart below for current eligibility guidelines.

EMPLOYEES MAY USE UP TO 2 ADDITIONAL HOURS OF COVID-19 SICK LEAVE FOR BOOSTER DOSES

Employees may demonstrate they have received a COVID-19 booster shot by submitting their original CDC vaccination record to Human Resources at either of these locations:

The Market Street Human Resources office between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Their on-site safety coordinator

NO SCHEDULE FOR PHASING OUT WORK FROM HOME AT THIS TIME; SENIOR MANAGEMENT TO REEVALUATE IN JANUARY

As we communicated in September, the schedule for phasing out work-from-home options was postponed until 2022. At this time, there is no set schedule for returning to regular in-office attendance, however, MSD’s senior management team plans to discuss that timeline in January after the holiday season.

If senior management decides to begin phasing out work-from-home options, employees will not be required to resume regular in-office attendance immediately. Any phase-out schedule will include prior warning and a transitional period.

There are no changes to work-from-home arrangements at this time.

ST LOUIS IN CDC’S HIGH TRANSMISSION CATEGORY, MONITORING FOR OMICRON VARIANT

St. Louis County recently announced that COVID-19 cases are increasing, putting the County in the CDC’s high transmission category. They are also monitoring for evidence of the Omicron variant through the state’s wastewater testing reports, though they have no evidence of the new variant in St. Louis County at this time.

These updates as poignant reminders that the virus is still a threat, and we must all continue to be vigilant to follow safety guidelines at work and in our free time.

MSD’s safety policies are meant to promote a healthy work environment, but you are our first line of defense. Thank you for your vigilance in taking reasonable precautions to promote health and safety.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

THREE EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 158 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Bess McCoy
Public Affairs Specialist

MSD COVID-19 Update - November 19, 2021

A regular weekly update from Bess McCoy.

EMAIL SENT November 19, 2021, 12:21 p.m.

WHATS NEW

REMINDER: Follow MSD safety guidelines while celebrating Thanksgiving and planning for holiday season celebrations. As a reminder, all workplace holiday gatherings are still prohibited. For more information, see “REMINDER: Follow safety guidelines while celebrating Thanksgiving” below.
Because of the holiday, there will be no COVID-19 Update next week. Please look for the next update on Friday, December 3.
REMINDER: Employees who have received a COVID-19 booster shot may voluntarily submit those records to Human Resources. Employees are not required to submit these records, however this information will help senior leadership better gauge the overall health and safety of the District. For more information, see “REMINDER: Employees may voluntarily submit booster vaccination records…” below.
There were three new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “Three Employees Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

REMINDER: FOLLOW SAFETY GUIDELINES WHILE CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING

As we enter Thanksgiving week and the holiday season, please think of your fellow employees as you decide how to celebrate:

When in public, please make sure to social distance, wear a mask, and practice regular hygiene.
If you plan to participate in activities that do not adhere to MSD’s COVID-19 guidelines, including limiting in-person interaction, wearing a mask, and social distancing, please plan to take additional leave to take a COVID test or self-quarantine before returning to work.
If you take all the necessary precautions and you still find yourself in a compromising situation, please make sure you inform your supervisor so they can decide on the appropriate actions to promote a safe workplace for all employees.

NO COVID-19 UPDATE NEXT WEEK

Because of the holiday, there will be no COVID-19 Update next week. Please look for the next update on Friday, December 3.

REMINDER: EMPLOYEES MAY VOLUNTARILY SUBMIT BOOSTER VACCINATION RECORDS TO HUMAN RESOURCES

As there are now booster recommendations for all three COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States, employees who have received a booster vaccination are invited to voluntarily submit these records to Human Resources. While employees are not required to submit these records, this information will help senior leadership better gauge the overall health and safety of the District as they continue to create policies to promote a safe work environment.

Employees may demonstrate they have received a COVID-19 booster shot by submitting their original CDC vaccination record to Human Resources at either of these locations:

The Market Street Human Resources office between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Their on-site safety coordinator

Please review the chart below for current COVID-19 booster eligibility. Earlier today, the FDA authorized booster doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses to all adults, however the CDC must still approve that expansion. The CDC is scheduled to review that expansion today.

THREE EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 155 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Bess McCoy
Public Affairs Specialist

MSD COVID-19 Update - November 12, 2021

A regular weekly update from Bess McCoy.

EMAIL SENT November 12, 2021, 11:01 a.m.

WHATS NEW

REMINDER: The testing exemption for employees who have demonstrated partial vaccination status has ended. All employees who have demonstrated only partial vaccination status, or who have not demonstrated their vaccination status, must submit weekly COVID-19 testing results. For more information, see “REMINDER: Testing exemption for partially vaccinated employees has ended” below.
Follow MSD safety guidelines while celebrating Thanksgiving and planning for holiday season celebrations. As a reminder, all workplace holiday gatherings are still prohibited. For more information, see “Follow safety guidelines while celebrating Thanksgiving” below.
REMINDER: Employees who have received a COVID-19 booster shot may voluntarily submit those records to Human Resources. Employees are not required to submit these records, however this information will help senior leadership better gauge the overall health and safety of the District. For more information, see “REMINDER: Employees may voluntarily submit booster vaccination records…” below.
Next Wednesday is the last opportunity for on-site flu vaccinations. For more information, see “Last chance for on-site flu vaccines…” below.
There was one new COVID-19 infection among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “One Employee Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

REMINDER: TESTING EXEMPTION FOR PARTIALLY VACCINATED EMPLOYEES HAS ENDED

All employees who have not demonstrated that they have received the full recommended dose of a COVID-19 vaccine must submit weekly test results per the Mandatory COVID-19 testing policy. This means:

Employees who have demonstrated partial vaccination status (they have submitted their CDC-issued vaccination card showing one dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine) must submit weekly test results to CovidTestResults@stlmsd.com by noon each Wednesday until they submit a vaccination card showing they have received both doses of the vaccine.
Employees who have not submitted their CDC-issued COVID-19 vaccination card to Human Resources must submit weekly testing results to CovidTestResults@stlmsd.com by noon each Wednesday until they submit a vaccination card to Human Resources showing they have received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Human Resources has reached out individually to employees who have demonstrated partial vaccination status.

Employees who have not yet started the vaccination process will need to continue submitting weekly tests until they demonstrate that they are fully vaccinated (one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines).

FOLLOW SAFETY GUIDELINES WHILE CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING

As we near Thanksgiving and the holiday season, please think of your fellow employees as you decide how to celebrate:

When in public, please make sure to social distance, wear a mask, and practice regular hygiene.
If you plan to participate in activities that do not adhere to MSD’s COVID-19 guidelines, including limiting in-person interaction, wearing a mask, and social distancing, please plan to take additional leave to take a COVID test or self-quarantine before returning to work.
If you take all the necessary precautions and you still find yourself in a compromising situation, please make sure you inform your supervisor so they can decide on the appropriate actions to promote a safe workplace for all employees.

REMINDER: EMPLOYEES MAY VOLUNTARILY SUBMIT BOOSTER VACCINATION RECORDS TO HUMAN RESOURCES

Employees may demonstrate they have received a COVID-19 booster shot by submitting their original CDC vaccination record to Human Resources at either of these locations:

The Market Street Human Resources office between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Their on-site safety coordinator

Please review the chart below to determine if you are eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster dose.

LAST CHANCE FOR ON-SITE FLU VACCINES IS NEXT WEDNESDAY

The final opportunity for employees to receive on-site flu vaccines is next Wednesday, November 17 from 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. at the Market Street office.

If you participate in this flu vaccination opportunity, please remember to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and bring your own pen for sign-in.

Please note that CDC recommendations allow for the administration of the flu vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine at the same time. This is a change from previous guidelines, which recommended a minimum interval of 14 days between each vaccine.

If you are getting both shots at the same time, the CDC guidance for vaccine providers notes that injection sites should be separated by an inch or more or administered in different limbs if possible.

ONE EMPLOYEE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 INCLUDING; 152 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

As we mentioned in a separate email, one additional employee tested positive for COVID-19 since the last weekly email. This brings the total number of employees who have tested positive to date to one hundred fifty-two (152).

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Bess McCoy
Public Affairs Specialist

MSD COVID-19 Update - November 5, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT November 5, 2021, 12:10p.m.

WHATS NEW

Employees who have received a COVID-19 booster shot may voluntarily submit those records to Human Resources. Employees are not required to submit these records, however, this information will help senior leadership better gauge the overall health and safety of the District. For more information, see “Employees may voluntarily submit booster vaccination records…” below.
The CDC recommends Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11. Parents and guardians can find a list of providers on the state website or make an appointment at www.revivestl.com. For more information, see “CDC recommends Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations for kids age 5-11” below.
REMINDER: On-site flu vaccinations have begun and will continue through mid-November. Please see the calendar below for more details. For more information, see “On-site flu vaccines continue through November 17” below.
There were three new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. Two of these cases involved possible workplace transmission. For more information, see “Three Employees Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

EMPLOYEES MAY VOLUNTARILY SUBMIT BOOSTER VACCINATION RECORDS TO HUMAN RESOURCES

Employees may demonstrate that they have received a COVID-19 booster shot by submitting their original CDC vaccination record to Human Resources at either of these locations:

The Market Street Human Resources office between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Their on-site safety coordinator

Please review the chart below to determine if you are eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster dose.

CDC RECOMMENDS PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINATIONS FOR KIDS AGED 5-11

Earlier this week, the CDC expanded eligibility for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination to kids between the ages of 5-11.

Parents and guardians can find a list of providers who are offering vaccinations to children on the state coronavirus information website here.

The St. Louis County Department of Public Health will begin administering doses of COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 5 to 11 at John C. Murphy Health Center, 6121 North Hanley Road in Berkeley, starting Saturday, November 6. If supply allows, they will offer youth vaccinations at all three health clinics and four St. Louis County Library branches beginning next week.

Vaccinations are dependent on the supply of the youth vaccine, which is controlled by the state of Missouri, so appointments are recommended. To make an appointment or find more information about clinic locations and hours, visit www.revivestl.com.

ON-SITE FLU VACCINES CONTINUE THROUGH NOVEMBER 17

MSD employees can receive the flu vaccine at various sites across the District this fall. Please see the schedule below for locations and times.

If you participate in a flu vaccination opportunity, please remember to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and bring your own pen for sign-in.

THREE EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19, INCLUDING POSSIBLE WORKPLACE TRANSMISSION; 150 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

MSD has evidence MSD that two of these cases may have involved workplace transmission. This serves as a poignant reminder of the necessity that every employee remains diligent in following MSD’s COVID-19 guidelines to promote a healthy and safe work environment. Please continue to:

Wear a well-fitting mask that covers your nose and mouth when in public and while at work
Stay at least 6 feet from other people who are not from your household in both indoor and outdoor spaces.
Practice good hygiene, including thoroughly washing your hands for at least twenty seconds to reduce surface spread.

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley

MSD COVID-19 Update - October 29, 2021

A regular weekly update from Bess McCoy.

WHATS NEW

The CDC is now recommending booster doses for all adults. Employees may use up to two additional hours of COVID-19 sick leave to receive a booster dose. For more information, see “CDC recommends COVID-19 booster vaccinations…” below.
Employees may use up to 2 additional hours of COVID-19 sick leave to receive a booster dose of the vaccine. For more information, see “Employees may use up to 2 additional hours…” below.
Senior management will consider a schedule for phasing out work-from-home options in January. There is no set schedule for phase-out, however, any phase-out will be gradual. For more information, see “No schedule for phasing out work from home…” below.
COVID 19 transmission rates in St. Louis County are high. The County is monitoring for the emergence of the Omicron variant but has not detected it. For more information, see “St. Louis in CDC’s high-transmission category…” below.
There were three new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees since the last update. For more information, see “Three Employees Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic below.

CDC RECOMMENDS COVID-19 BOOSTER VACCINATIONS FOR ALL ADULTS; MSD TO HOLD PFIZER VACCINATION EVENT JANUARY 8

This event is open to MSD employees, their families, and their friends to receive the following vaccines:

1st Dose
2nd Dose – Previous dose can be from another location.
Booster Dose – For those who qualify per CDC Guidelines

Registration is required and must be completed by Wednesday, January 5. Register here (Google Chrome recommended).

Please see the chart below for current eligibility guidelines.

EMPLOYEES MAY USE UP TO 2 ADDITIONAL HOURS OF COVID-19 SICK LEAVE FOR BOOSTER DOSES

Employees may demonstrate they have received a COVID-19 booster shot by submitting their original CDC vaccination record to Human Resources at either of these locations:

The Market Street Human Resources office between 6:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Their on-site safety coordinator

NO SCHEDULE FOR PHASING OUT WORK FROM HOME AT THIS TIME; SENIOR MANAGEMENT TO REEVALUATE IN JANUARY

There are no changes to work-from-home arrangements at this time.

ST LOUIS IN CDC’S HIGH TRANSMISSION CATEGORY, MONITORING FOR OMICRON VARIANT

These updates as poignant reminders that the virus is still a threat, and we must all continue to be vigilant to follow safety guidelines at work and in our free time.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

THREE EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 158 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Bess McCoy
Public Affairs Specialist

MSD COVID-19 Update - October 22, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT October 22, 2021, 12:35 p.m.

WHATS NEW

REMINDER: MSD will offer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to MSD employees and their families at the Market Street office on Saturday, October 30. For more information, see “COVID-19 vaccine available at Market Street office…” below.
REMINDER: On-site flu vaccinations have begun and will continue through mid-November. Please see the calendar below for more details. For more information, see “On-site flu vaccines continue through November” below.
There was one new COVID-19 infection among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “One Employee Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 VACCINE AVAILABLE AT MARKET STREET OFFICE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30

MSD employees, their families, and their friends may receive the Pfizer vaccine at the Market Street office on Saturday, October 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Participants may receive their first dose, second dose, or booster dose if they qualify per CDC guidelines.

CDC recommends:

people 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
people aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
people aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks, and
people aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.

Registration is required if you did not participate in the October 9 vaccination event. Register using the link below (Google Chrome recommended):

Pfizer Vaccination Registration Form (smartsheet.com)

For more information, see the earlier email from Raven Butts, or contact Human Resources.

ON-SITE FLU VACCINES CONTINUE THROUGH NOVEMBER

MSD employees can receive the flu vaccine at various sites across the District this fall. Please see the schedule below for locations and times.

If you participate in a flu vaccination opportunity, please remember to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and bring your own pen for sign-in.

ONE EMPLOYEE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 148 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley

MSD COVID-19 Update - October 15, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT October 15, 2021, 12:38 p.m.

WHATS NEW

Reminder: Staff who refuse to provide weekly test results will be excluded from the workplace and may be subject to disciplinary action, per the Mandatory COVID-19 Testing Program Policy. For more information, see “Reminder: Staff may face discipline for refusing to provide weekly test results” below.
Fully vaccinated employees must get tested 3-5 days after a known or potential exposure. The MSD COVID-19 Guidelines were updated to reflect this change. For more information, see “Fully vaccinated employees must get tested 3-5 days…” below.
CEO Brian Hoelscher updated MSD’s Board of Trustees on the status of MSD’s COVID-19 safety protocols at last night’s Board meeting. Please find that report attached. For more information, see “CEO Brian Hoelscher updates Board on COVID-19 protocols” below.
MSD will offer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to MSD employees and their families at the Market Street office on Saturday, October 30. For more information, see “COVID-19 vaccine available at Market Street office…” below.
On-site flu vaccinations have begun and will continue through mid-November. Please see the calendar below for more details. For more information, see “On-site flu vaccines continue through November” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

REMINDER: STAFF MAY FACE DISCIPLINE FOR REFUSING TO PROVIDE WEEKLY TEST RESULTS

The mandatory COVID-19 testing program began last week. As a reminder, per the Mandatory COVID-19 Testing Policy, “Staff who refuse to provide weekly test results will be excluded from the workplace and may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.”

Please keep in mind that Senior Management allowed for some flexibility in submitting test or proof of vaccinations this past week. This more than likely will not be the case going forward.

Employees who have not provided their CDC-issued vaccination card to HR must submit weekly COVID-19 test results to CovidTestResults@stlmsd.com by noon each Wednesday. For more information, see the Mandatory COVID-19 Testing Policy.

FULLY VACCINATED EMPLOYEES MUST GET TESTED 3-5 DAYS AFTER KNOWN OR POTENTIAL EXPOSURE; COVID-19 GUIDELINES UPDATED

Fully vaccinated employees who have a known or potential exposure to COVID-19 must quarantine and get tested three to five days following the date of their exposure or potential exposure. This measure is in line with current CDC guidance. The MSD COVID-19 Guidelines document was updated to reflect this change. Previous guidelines did not require fully vaccinated employees to get tested after exposure.

CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER UPDATES BOARD ON COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Executive Director and CEO Brian Hoelscher provided an update at last night’s Board of Trustees meeting on MSD’s safety protocols in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please find that report attached.

COVID-19 VACCINE AVAILABLE AT MARKET STREET OFFICE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30

MSD employees, their families, and their friends may receive the Pfizer vaccine at the Market Street office on Saturday, October 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Participants may receive their second dose or booster dose if they qualify per CDC guidelines.

CDC recommends:

people 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
people aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
people aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks, and
people aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.

Registration is required. Register using the link below (Google Chrome recommended):

Pfizer Vaccination Registration Form (smartsheet.com)

For more information, see the earlier email from Raven Butts, or contact Human Resources.

ON-SITE FLU VACCINES CONTINUE THROUGH NOVEMBER

MSD employees can receive the flu vaccine at various sites across the District this fall. Please see the schedule below for locations and times.

If you participate in a flu vaccination opportunity, please remember to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and bring your own pen for sign-in.

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

We are happy to announce that as of the time this email was sent, we have no new reports of infections among employees. Thank you all for doing your part to stay healthy so we can all work together to promote a safe workplace and to continue to provide our customers with an essential service.

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley

MSD COVID-19 Update - October 8, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT October 8, 2021, 11:41 a.m.

WHATS NEW

The mandatory COVID-19 testing program begins next week. All employees who have not registered their CDC-issued vaccination card with Human Resources will be required to demonstrate a negative COVID-19 test weekly per the Mandatory COVID-19 Testing Program Policy. For more information, see “Mandatory COVID-19 testing program begins next week” below.
Tomorrow, MSD will offer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to MSD employees and their families at the Market Street office. For more information, see “Tomorrow: COVID-19 vaccine available at Market Street office” below.
On-site flu vaccinations have begun and will continue through mid-November. Please see the calendar below for more details. For more information, see “On-site flu vaccines continue through November” below.
Several local Fire/EMS districts will offer Pfizer booster shots to those eligible. For more information, see “Pfizer booster doses available through some area Fire/EMS” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MANDATORY COVID-19 TESTING PROGRAM BEGINS NEXT WEEK

The mandatory COVID-19 testing program will begin next week. Per the Mandatory COVID-19 Testing Policy, all employees must register their vaccination status with Human Resources or submit a negative COVID-19 test result. All employees should familiarize themselves with the policy using the link above.

We have received several questions in the MSDCorona@stlmsd.com inbox and have compiled common questions into an FAQ document.

If you have questions about the policy, please consult the FAQ document and submit any remaining questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

TOMORROW: COVID-19 VACCINE AVAILABLE AT MARKET STREET OFFICE

MSD employees, their families, and their friends may receive the Pfizer vaccine at the Market Street office on Saturday, October 9, and Saturday, October 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Participants may receive their first dose, second dose, or booster dose if they qualify per CDC guidelines.

CDC recommends:

people 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
people aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
people aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks, and
people aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.

Registration is required and must be completed by close of business today (Friday, October 8, 2021). Register using the link below (Google Chrome recommended):

Pfizer Vaccination Registration Form (smartsheet.com)

For more information, see the earlier email from Raven Butts, or contact Human Resources.

ON-SITE FLU VACCINES CONTINUE THROUGH NOVEMBER

MSD employees can receive the flu vaccine at various sites across the District this fall. Please see the schedule below for locations and times.

If you participate in a flu vaccination opportunity, please remember to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and bring your own pen for sign-in.

PFIZER BOOSTER DOSES AVAILABLE THROUGH SOME AREA FIRE/EMS

Several local Fire/EMS district personnel will offer Pfizer booster doses to those eligible. In order to be eligible for a booster dose, individuals must have completed the 2-dose Pfizer vaccination process at least six months ago and meet the following criteria:

Those who are 65 and older
Those in long-term care facilities
Individuals ages 50 – 64 with underlying medical conditions such as chronic lung disease, diabetes, and lung disease
Individuals 18 years of age and older with high exposure to the virus due to where they work or live, such as healthcare workers and people in shelters or corrections facility
Individuals 18-49 with underlying medical conditions

The upcoming Fire/EMS events include:

10/11 Bridgeton Community Center, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Pfizer only
10/12 Affton Fire Protection District, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Pfizer only
10/13 Affton Fire Protection District, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Pfizer only
10/15 Eureka Community Center, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Pfizer only

Walk-ups are welcome, or you can schedule an appointment by clicking the specific event above.

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley

MSD COVID-19 Update - October 1, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT October 1, 2021, 12:25 p.m.

WHATS NEW

MSD issues new Mandatory COVID-19 Testing Program Policy. All employees should read and familiarize themselves with this policy. For more information, see “Mandatory COVID-19 testing policy finalized” below.
MSD will offer Pfizer vaccines at the Market Street office and flu vaccines across work sites this fall. For more information, see “MSD to offer Pfizer vaccinations…” below.
St. Louis county issued a new public health order requiring masks to be worn in all public locations. This mandate does not change MSD’s current policies. For more information, see “St. Louis issues new mask mandate…” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MANDATORY COVID-19 TESTING POLICY PUBLISHED

As communicated in an email by Human Resources on Tuesday, September 28, MSD’s management team finalized the Mandatory COVID-19 Testing Policy as directed by MSD’s Board of Trustees in their September 9, 2021 resolution.

All employees should read and familiarize themselves with this policy.

Mandatory COVID-19 Testing Policy FAQs:

We have received several questions in the MSDCorona@stlmsd.com inbox and have compiled common questions into an FAQ document.

If you have questions about the policy, please consult the FAQ document and submit any remaining questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

REMINDER: MSD TO OFFER PFIZER VACCINATIONS AT MARKET OFFICE, ON-SITE FLU VACCINATIONS

As Human Resources announced in previous emails, MSD will hold two COVID-19 vaccination events at the Market Street Office as well as flu vaccination events across district locations.

COVID-19 Vaccine:

CDC recommends:

people 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
people aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
people aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks, and
people aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.

Registration is required and must be completed by October 6, 2021. Register using the link below (Google Chrome recommended):

Pfizer Vaccination Registration Form (smartsheet.com)

For more information, see the earlier email from Raven Butts, or contact Human Resources.

Flu vaccine:

MSD employees can receive the flu vaccine at various sites across the District this fall. Please see the schedule below for locations and times.

If you participate in a flu vaccination opportunity, please remember to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and bring your own pen for sign-in.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY ISSUES NEW MASK MANDATE

St. Louis County has issued a new public health order requiring masks to be worn in all public locations regardless of vaccination status. This mandate does not change MSD’s current measures.

DID YOU KNOW?

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are new, but the technology has been around for decades! Learn how these vaccines help protect you from COVID-19, especially severe illness and death, on the CDC website.

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Employees may use up to but no more than four hours total of leave under the COVID sick leave timecard designation to receive the vaccine. Those hours will not be counted when considering floating holidays for 2022 or as a sick leave occurrence under the sick leave policy.

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley

MSD COVID-19 Update - September 24, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT September 24, 2021, 11:24 a.m.

WHATS NEW

Senior management is finalizing policies to execute the Board of Trustees’ mandatory testing program resolution and will communicate the details as soon as they are available. For more information, see “Senior management continues to finalize mandatory COVID-19 testing policies” below.
For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, MSD has evidence of a possible workplace transmission of COVID-19. Please remain diligent in following MSD’s COVID-19 guidelines to promote the health and safety of yourself and your coworkers. For more information, see “MSD sees first possible workplace transmission of COVID-19” below.
The FDA authorized Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots for older adults, high-risk patients, those in long-term care facilities, and those whose jobs put them at increased risk. For more information, see “FDA authorizes Pfizer COVID-19 boosters…” below.
MSD will offer Pfizer vaccines at the Market Street office and flu vaccines across work sites this fall. For more information, see “MSD to offer Pfizer vaccinations…” below.
St. Louis County is launching a vaccine incentive program on September 25. County residents who enroll in the program will receive a $100 grocery gift card and a $50 gasoline card after completing the vaccination process. For more information, see “St. Louis County launches vaccine incentive program…” below.
There were five new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “Five Employees Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SENIOR MANAGEMENT IS FINALIZING MANDATORY COVID-19 TESTING POLICIES

MSD’s management team continues to finalize policies to outline the mandatory testing program as directed by MSD’s Board of Trustees in their September 9 resolution. We will communicate these policies, which will outline specific program logistics, as soon as they are complete. Until then, please find the available information in the Board’s resolution here.

Employees may submit questions about the program to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com; however, answers to those questions likely won’t be available until those policies are finalized.

MSD SEES FIRST POSSIBLE WORKPLACE TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19

For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, MSD has evidence of a possible workplace transmission of COVID-19. This serves as a poignant reminder of the necessity that every employee remains diligent in following MSD’s COVID-19 guidelines to promote a healthy and safe work environment. Please continue to:

Wear a well-fitting mask that covers your nose and mouth when in public and while at work
Stay at least 6 feet from other people who are not from your household in both indoor and outdoor spaces.
Practice good hygiene, including thoroughly washing your hands for at least twenty seconds to reduce surface spread.
Inform your supervisor if you believe you may have been exposed to the Coronavirus or were in a situation that did not allow for social distancing.

FDA AUTHORIZES PFIZER COVID-19 BOOSTERS FOR CERTAIN US ADULTS

This week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots for certain older Americans and those considered at high risk for complications.

Pfizer booster shots are now authorized for a select group of people who received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago including:

Adults over the age of 65
Adults who live in long-term care facilities
Adults who are at high risk for sever COVID-19 because of an underlying medical condition
Health care workers and others whose jobs put them at risk

Additionally, Pfizer booster shots are also authorized for people with weakened immune systems who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least four weeks ago. For these people, the third shot is considered part of the recommended immunization schedule rather than as a booster.

Eligible MSD employees and their families may register to receive the Pfizer booster vaccine as part of MSD’s on-site vaccination events on October 9 and October 30. For more information, see below.

REMINDER: MSD TO OFFER PFIZER VACCINATIONS AT MARKET OFFICE, ON-SITE FLU VACCINATIONS

As Human Resources announced in previous emails, MSD will hold two COVID-19 vaccination events at the Market Street Office as well as flu vaccination events across district locations.

COVID-19 Vaccine:

Registration is required and must be completed by October 6, 2021. Register using the link below (Google Chrome recommended):

Pfizer Vaccination Registration Form (smartsheet.com)

For more information, see the earlier email from Raven Butts, or contact Human Resources.

Flu vaccine:

MSD employees can receive the flu vaccine at various sites across the District this fall. Please see the schedule below for locations and times.

If you participate in a flu vaccination opportunity, please remember to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and bring your own pen for sign-in.

LOUIS COUNTY LAUNCHES VACCINE INCENTIVE PROGRAM

Beginning this Saturday, September 25, St. Louis County residents who receive a COVID-19 vaccine at a county-sponsored event can enroll in a vaccine incentive program. Once they complete the vaccination process, the county will mail them a $100 grocery gift card and a $50 gasoline gift card.

To qualify for this incentive, individuals must:

Live in St. Louis County
Be 12 years of age or older
Get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at a Department of Public Health (DPH) vaccination event. Full vaccination requires getting two shots of either the Pfizer vaccine or the Moderna vaccine, or getting one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

DID YOU KNOW?

COVID-19 vaccines don’t change or interact with your DNA in any way. These vaccines deliver instructions to teach your body to build protection against COVID-19, but the material never interacts with your DNA. Learn more on the CDC’s website.

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

FIVE EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 147 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley

MSD COVID-19 Update - September 17, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT September 17, 2021, 11:58 a.m.

WHATS NEW

Senior management is finalizing policies to execute the Board of Trustees’ mandatory testing program resolution and will communicate the details as soon as they are available. For more information, see “Senior management continues to finalize mandatory COVID-19 testing policies” below.
The schedule returning to regular workplace attendance as well as allowing non-vaccinated employees to attend outside meetings, activities, and work-related travel is postponed until 2022. Senior management will continue to monitor the situation and may revise this schedule if needed. For more information, see “Dedensification measures extended until 2022…” below.
MSD will offer Pfizer vaccines at the Market Street office and flu vaccines across work sites this fall. For more information, see “MSD to offer Pfizer vaccinations…” below.
Human Resources will begin accepting vaccination registration from employees who have received the first dose of a two-dose vaccine and are within the recommended waiting period. This does not change MSD’s definition of “fully vaccinated.” For more information, see “Employees within recommended vaccine waiting period may register…” below.
St. Louis County Council passes vaccine mandate for County employees. There are no changes to MSD’s policies. For more information, see “St. Louis County Council passes vaccine mandate…” below.
There were four new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “Four Employees Tested Positive…” below.

—–

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SENIOR MANAGEMENT IS FINALIZING MANDATORY COVID-19 TESTING POLICIES

As announced last week, MSD’s Board of Trustees passed a resolution directing District staff to establish and implement a mandatory COVID-19 testing program for unvaccinated employees beginning Monday, October 11, 2021, with full implementation by Monday, November 1, 2021.

MSD’s management team is finalizing policies that will outline specific program logistics and will communicate those policies as soon as they are complete. Until then, please find the available information in the Board’s resolution here.

Employees may submit questions about the program to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com; however, answers to those questions likely won’t be available until those policies are finalized.

DEDENSIFICATION MEASURES EXTENDED UNTIL 2022; OUTSIDE MEETINGS, ACTIVITIES, AND WORK-RELATED TRAVEL CANCELED FOR NON-VACCINATED EMPLOYEES UNTIL 2022

MSD’s senior management is postponing the schedule to return to regular in-office attendance until 2022. The previous schedule was to begin phasing out work from home options on October 4, 2021.

Similarly, MSD’s senior management is postponing the schedule to allow non-vaccinated employees to attend outside meetings, activities, and work-related travel until 2022.

Employees who are fully vaccinated per the guidelines in the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines document may participate in outside meetings, activities, or work-related travel; however, they may have to follow “After potential exposure to COVID-19” procedures depending on the event they attend.

As always, we will continue to monitor information from public health experts to help guide our ongoing policy decisions. As such, these policies are subject to change if senior management deems it necessary to promote a healthy workplace.

The MSD COVID-19 Guidelines were updated to reflect these changes.

MSD TO OFFER PFIZER VACCINATIONS AT MARKET OFFICE, ON-SITE FLU VACCINATIONS

As Human Resources announced in previous emails, MSD will hold two COVID-19 vaccination events at the Market Street Office as well as flu vaccination events across district locations.

COVID-19 Vaccine:

Registration is required and must be completed by October 6, 2021. Register using the link below (Google Chrome recommended):

Pfizer Vaccination Registration Form (smartsheet.com)

For more information, see the earlier email from Raven Butts, or contact Human Resources.

Flu vaccine:

MSD employees can receive the flu vaccine at various sites across the District this fall. Please see the schedule below for locations and times.

If you participate in a flu vaccination opportunity, please remember to wear a mask, practice social distancing, and bring your own pen for sign-in.

EMPLOYEES WITHIN RECOMMENDED VACCINE WAITING PERIOD MAY REGISTER FIRST VACCINATION WITH HUMAN RESOURCES

With the mandatory COVID-19 testing program beginning soon (see above), Human Resources will now accept proof of vaccination from employees who have received the first dose of a two-dose vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) but are within the recommended waiting period before receiving their second dose (three weeks for Pfizer and four weeks for Moderna).

Employees who demonstrate their first dose of a two-dose vaccine and are within the recommended waiting period before receiving the second dose will not be required to participate in the mandatory COVID-19 testing program. However, employees will still only be considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their last required dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and submitting their original CDC-issued vaccination card to Human Resources.

LOUIS COUNTY COUNCIL PASSES VACCINE MANDATE FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES

This past week, St. Louis County Council passed an ordinance requiring County employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or partake in regular COVID-19 testing. MSD is not required to follow St. Louis County’s employee policies, and therefore there are no changes to MSD’s policies.

DID YOU KNOW?

CDC research shows fully vaccinated people had a ten times lower risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 compared with those not fully vaccinated. Learn more on the CDC’s website.

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

FOUR EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 142 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

As we mentioned in a separate email, four additional employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the last weekly email. This brings the total number of employees who have tested positive to date to one hundred forty-two (142).

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley

MSD COVID-19 Update - September 10, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT September 10, 2021, 9:50 a.m.

WHATS NEW

MSD’s Board of Trustees has instructed staff to implement a mandatory COVID-19 testing program beginning Monday, October 11. No employee action is required at this time. MSD management is finalizing specific policies to support the program and will communicate them in next week’s update. For more information, see “Board of Trustees passes resolution establishing mandatory COVID-19 testing program…” below.
Human Resources will begin accepting vaccination registration from employees who have received the first dose of a two-dose vaccine and are within the recommended waiting period. This does not change MSD’s definition of “fully vaccinated.” For more information, see “Employees within recommended vaccine waiting period may register…” below.
MSD will offer Pfizer vaccines at the Market Street office on October 9 and 30. Registration is required. For more information, see “MSD to offer Pfizer vaccinations…” below.
There were three new COVID-19 infection among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “Three Employees Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES PASSES RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING MANDATORY COVID-19 TESTING PROGRAM; MANAGEMENT FINALIZING SPECIFIC POLICIES

On Thursday, September 9, MSD’s Board of Trustees passed a resolution directing District staff to establish and implement a mandatory COVID-19 testing program beginning Monday, October 11, 2021, with full implementation by Monday, November 1, 2021.

Per the resolution, “the District will require all employees to be vaccinated or provide a negative COVID-19 test weekly as part of the MSD Mandatory COVID Testing Program.”

No employee action is necessary at present time.

MSD’s management team is finalizing policies that will outline specific program logistics, and we will communicate those policies in next week’s COVID-19 update. Until then, please find the available information in the Board’s resolution here.

Employees may submit their questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com, however, we anticipate next week’s update will address most employee questions.

EMPLOYEES WITHIN RECOMMENDED VACCINE WAITING PERIOD MAY REGISTER FIRST VACCINATION WITH HUMAN RESOURCES

MSD TO OFFER PFIZER VACCINATIONS AT MARKET OFFICE OCTOBER 9 AND 30

As Human Resources announced in an email from Raven Butts earlier this week, MSD employees, their families, and their friends may receive the Pfizer vaccine at the Market Street office on Saturday, October 9, and Saturday, October 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Participants may receive their first dose, second dose, or booster dose if they qualify per CDC guidelines.

Registration is required and must be completed by October 6, 2021. Register using the link below (Google Chrome recommended):

Pfizer Vaccination Registration Form (smartsheet.com)

For more information, see the earlier email from Raven Butts, or contact Human Resources.

DID YOU KNOW?

None of the vaccines authorized or approved for use in the United States contain live viruses, so you cannot shed or release any parts of the virus that causes COVID-19 after vaccination. Learn more on the CDC’s website.

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

NO CHANGES TO COVID-19 GUIDELINES

There were no changes to the MSD COVID-19 guidelines this week. Senior management continues to evaluate these guidelines considering recommendations from national and local public health leaders and may implement additional changes. The MSD COVID-19 guidelines document will be updated as new policies go into effect.

THREE EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 138 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley

MSD COVID-19 Update - September 3, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT September 3, 2021, 10:00 a.m.

WHATS NEW

St. Louis County Council voted to support a mask mandate, and St. Louis City extended its mask mandate. These actions do not change MSD’s current mask policies. For more information, see “St. Louis County votes to back mask mandate…” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

—–

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

LOUIS COUNTY COUNCIL VOTES TO BACK MASK MANDATE; ST. LOUIS CITY EXTENDS MASK MANDATE

This past week, St. Louis County Council passed a resolution supporting the county’s mask mandate, and the St. Louis City Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to extend the city’s mask mandate.

These actions do not affect MSD’s mask policies. MSD employees are still encouraged to wear masks at all times, and they are required to wear masks inside MSD facilities (unless they are alone at their desks) and outdoors when social distancing cannot be maintained.

DID YOU KNOW?

A new study from the CDC’s COVID-NET shows that unvaccinated people are 17 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people who are fully vaccinated. Learn more on the CDC’s website.

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

NO CHANGES TO COVID-19 GUIDELINES

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley

MSD COVID-19 Update - August 27, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT August 27, 2021, 2:23 p.m.

WHATS NEW

The FDA granted full approval to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for people age 16 and older. For more information on the approval process and how to get vaccinated, see “FDA grants full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine” below.
There was one new COVID-19 infection among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “Two Employees Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

FDA GRANTS FULL APPROVAL TO PFIZER-BIONTECH CORONAVIRUS VACCINE

Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for people 16 and older. It remains available under emergency use authorization for adolescents ages 12 to 15.

FDA-approved vaccines undergo the agency’s standard process for reviewing the quality, safety, and effectiveness of medical products. Find out more about the approval process for the Pfizer vaccine on the FDA’s website.

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

NO CHANGES TO COVID-19 GUIDELINES

ONE EMPLOYEE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 135 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley

MSD COVID-19 Update - August 20, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT August 20, 2021, 12:04 p.m.

WHATS NEW

The City of St. Louis announced it will require all City employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or get tested weekly. There are no changes to MSD’s COVID-19 guidelines or policies at this time. For more information, see “City of St. Louis announces COVID-19 vaccination requirement for City employees…” below.
There were two new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “Two Employees Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CITY OF ST. LOUIS ANNOUNCES COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT FOR CITY EMPLOYEES; NO CHANGES TO MSD GUIDELINES

Citing rising case numbers, City of St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones announced earlier this week that all City employees will be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 15, 2021, or get tested weekly. You can read the full press release here.

MSD is not required to follow the same employee policies as the City of St. Louis, and as such, there are no changes to MSD’s COVID-19 Guidelines at this time. As always, senior management will continue to monitor information from public health experts to help guide policies that promote a healthy workplace.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Delta variant is more dangerous than other variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. It spreads more easily, infects more people, and spreads faster than other variants. The CDC encourages everyone who is able to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and their community. Learn more: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccination opportunities can be found on the St. Louis County website here.

TWO EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 134 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

As we mentioned in separate emails, two additional employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the last weekly email. This brings the total number of employees who have tested positive to date to one hundred thirty-four (134).

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley

MSD COVID-19 Update - August 13, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT August 13, 2021, 12:07 p.m.

WHATS NEW

Remember to wait 3-5 days before getting tested for COVID-19 if you are exposed to someone who is known or suspected to have COVID-19. This is in accordance with CDC guidelines. For more information, see “Wait 3-5 days to get tested after known or potential exposure” below.
Probationary employees who use COVID-19 Sick Leave should contact Human Resources prior to completing their timecard. For more information, see “Probationary employees should contact Human Resources…” below.
MSD is making several changes to improve air quality at indoor locations in response to a recently completed air quality study. For more information, see “Reminder: staggered schedules end next Monday, August 2” below.
There were two new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “Two Employees Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

WAIT 3-5 DAYS TO GET TESTED AFTER KNOWN OR POTENTIAL EXPOSURE

Per CDC guidelines, “people who have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should get tested 3-5 days after exposure and are to wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result.”

MSD’s COVID-19 Guidelines currently require all employees (regardless of vaccination status) who have a known or potential exposure to COVID-19 to quarantine for a period of 10 working days (14 days total) OR demonstrate a negative COVID-19 test. Employees who choose to demonstrate a negative COVID-19 test must wait 3-5 days from the date of potential exposure before receiving the test, per CDC recommendations above.

During those 3-5 days, fully vaccinated employees who are able to may either work from home or work in a designated isolated location at their workplace.

Non-vaccinated employees will not be allowed to work from home during their quarantine period and may use any available paid time off or may take time off without pay.

Please find a breakdown of available options for employees who have demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated and employees who have not demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated below. Please reference the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines document for the most up-to-date procedures.

After Potential Exposure to COVID-19

FULLY VACCINATED EMPLOYEES	NON-VACCINATED EMPLOYEES
Should be sent home immediately	Should be sent home immediately
May return to work if the potential source of the infection tests negative for COVID-19.	May return to work if the potential source of the infection tests negative for COVID-19.
Otherwise, may return to work after waiting 3-5 days and receiving a negative COVID-19 test OR	Otherwise, may return to work after waiting 3-5 days and receiving a negative COVID-19 test OR
May return to work after quarantining for 10 working days (14 days total)	May return to work after quarantining for 10 working days (14 days total)
May work from home or from an isolated location during the quarantine period	May NOT work from home or from an isolated location and must use available paid leave or unpaid leave during the quarantine period

PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES SHOULD CONTACT HUMAN RESOURCES BEFORE USING COVID-19 SICK LEAVE ON THEIR TIMECARDS

Probationary employees are eligible to use COVID-19 sick leave for situations associated with COVID-19. However, Human Resources has specific guidelines for how these employees should submit their timecards.

Prior to submitting their timecards, probationary employees who use COVID-19 sick leave should contact Chris Tumminia, Manager of Human Resources, at 314-768-6207 or ctumminia@stlmsd.com.

MSD MAKING AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS TO INDOOR SPACES TO MITIGATE THE POTENTIAL SPREAD OF AIRBORNE DISEASES

In an effort to mitigate the potential impacts of COVID-19 and other airborne diseases, MSD recently hired a consultant to conduct an analysis of all indoor spaces per best industry guidance. Based on the consultant’s recommendation, MSD identified three action items:

Modify its existing HVAC systems to increase air-flow
Address conditions in areas where social distancing is difficult
Install new equipment designed to reduce the amount of mold, bacteria, and viruses that exist in the air-flow

To date, MSD has implemented the first two recommendations across the District. Due to the volume of people and duration of time spent inside an air-conditioned space, the Market Street Office was identified as having the highest need for new equipment designed to clean the air. As such, we are in the process of putting together a bid package to install that equipment at the Market Street Facility. We anticipate installation will be completed in Spring of 2022, though the timeline is subject to change.

We will look at similar improvements at other facilities as future improvements to the HVAC systems are made.

TWO EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 132 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley

MSD COVID-19 Update - August 6, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT August 6, 2021, 12:05 p.m.

CEO Brian Hoelscher reminds employees to continue following COVID-19 guidelines while attending external events and or traveling to areas where guidelines are relaxed. For more information, see “Message from CEO Brian Hoelscher…” below.
The schedule for returning to regular in-office attendance, allowing MSD-hosted external events, and opening facilities to the public is postponed until October 4. Senior management will continue to monitor the situation and may revise this schedule if needed. For more information, see “Return to regular in-office attendance…” below.
Employees who attend external events must follow local guidelines, including local mask requirements. For more information, see “Employees must follow local guidelines…” below.
The MSD COVID-19 Guidelines were updated to reflect changes in mask requirements and return to work after potential exposure. For more information, see “MSD COVID-19 Guidelines updated…” below.
There were two new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “Two Employees Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MESSAGE FROM CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER-Addressing external events and travel in areas where CDC guidelines are relaxed or not enforced.

To All Employees,

Cases of COVID infections continue to rise in the State of Missouri. As such, MSD employees need to be especially careful when traveling to areas with policies that are not in line with CDC guidance for highly infectious areas.

I know that many of you are planning to attend the MWEA Conference next week. I would like to remind you of a few policies that have been put in place and must be followed:

Everyone who is going must be registered as vaccinated with the HR Department or face discipline up to and including dismissal.
For those vaccinated individuals who are planning to attend the conference, you will need to quarantine upon returning. This means:
1. Working from home for the remainder of next week,
2. Getting tested for COVID no earlier than Sunday,
3. Upon receiving a negative test, returning to your normal work schedule,
  or
4. After receiving a positive test, quarantining on personal time for as long as it is required by our current policies.

Although it may not be required or mandated, I encourage everyone who is attending to consider wearing a mask at all indoor activities during this event. This procedure should be followed for all indoor events that do not align with CDC guidelines regarding masking for indoor events.

This provision is being put in place to address our primary goal of preventing spread of the COVID infection at the workplace.

Thank you,
Brian Hoelscher
Executive Director
St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccination opportunities can be found on the St. Louis County website here.

RETURN TO REGULAR IN-OFFICE ATTENDANCE, MSD-HOSTED EXTERNAL EVENTS, AND OPENING FACILITIES TO THE PUBLIC POSTPONED UNTIL OCTOBER 4

As COVID-19 cases rise both nationally and locally, MSD’s senior management is postponing the schedule to return to regular in-office attendance until October 4. The previous schedule was to begin phasing out work from home options after Labor Day (September 6, 2021).

Similarly, MSD is also extending the ban on MSD-hosted external events and allowing the public into MSD facilities until October 4.

EMPLOYEES MUST FOLLOW LOCAL GUIDELINES AT EXTERNAL WORK EVENTS

As a reminder, MSD’s current COVID-19 guidelines allow fully vaccinated employees to attend external work functions organized and/or sponsored by outside organizations. When doing so, they must abide by all safety precautions of that event. This includes wearing masks indoors where local guidelines require it. Vaccinated employees may be required to quarantine while working depending on the event that was attended.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

Two EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 130 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean

MSD COVID-19 Update - July 30, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT July 30, 2021, 11:51 a.m.

***NOTICE: TODAY’S EMAIL CONTAINS SEVERAL NEW UPDATES. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY AND PLAN TO DISCUSS IT WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR.***

The CDC recommends that everyone wear masks indoors in areas of high COVID-19 transmission, regardless of vaccination status. For more information, see “CDC updates COVID-19 guidelines as cases rise” below.
The schedule for returning to regular in-office attendance, allowing MSD-hosted external events, and opening facilities to the public is postponed until October 4. Senior management will continue to monitor the situation and may revise this schedule if needed. For more information, see “Return to regular in-office attendance…” below.
Staggered schedules at yards will end next Monday, August 2. All employees at maintenance yards must wear masks indoors during mobilization, demobilization, and anytime they cannot maintain six feet of distance. For more information, see “Reminder: staggered schedules end next Monday, August 2” below.
All employees must quarantine after potential exposure, regardless of vaccination status. Employees who have not demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated will no longer be allowed to work from home while quarantining. For more information, see “All employees must quarantine after potential exposure” below.
Employees who attend external events must follow local guidelines, including local mask requirements. For more information, see “Employees must follow local guidelines…” below.
Reminder that masks are required indoors for all employees unless they are alone at their desks. Employees are still encouraged to register their vaccination status with Human Resources. For more information, see “Masks required indoors…” below.
Employees may follow the casual dress code at all times unless a situation calls for business casual dress. The casual dress code can be found in the Dress Code and Personal Appearance Policy. For more information, see “Casual dress code allowed…” below.
The first choice for employee meetings at MSD facilities is still virtual unless there is a compelling reason to have the meeting in person. For more information, see “Reminder: Use virtual meetings when possible” below.
The MSD COVID-19 Guidelines were updated to reflect changes in mask requirements and return to work after potential exposure. For more information, see “MSD COVID-19 Guidelines updated…” below.
There were three new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “ThreeEmployees Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CDC UPDATES COVID-19 GUIDELINES AS CASES RISE

As the more contagious Delta variant spreads and COVID-19 cases increase across the country, the CDC recommends that everyone wear masks indoors in areas of high COVID-19 transmission, regardless of vaccination status.

According to the CDC, the majority of new infections in the United States are in unvaccinated people, however, breakthrough infections, which are generally milder, can occur in vaccinated people. Recent data shows that the highly transmissible delta variant could possibly be spread by vaccinated people.

COVID-19 vaccines are still highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death and help to reduce the spread of the virus in communities. The CDC encourages everyone who is able to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and their community. Learn more: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccination opportunities can be found on the St. Louis County website here.

RETURN TO REGULAR IN-OFFICE ATTENDANCE, MSD-HOSTED EXTERNAL EVENTS, AND OPENING FACILITIES TO THE PUBLIC POSTPONED UNTIL OCTOBER 4

Similarly, MSD is also extending the ban on MSD-hosted external events and allowing the public into MSD facilities until October 4.

REMINDER: STAGGERED SCHEDULES END NEXT MONDAY, AUGUST 2

Staggered schedules at maintenance yards will end next Monday, August 2. All employees at maintenance yards will be required to wear masks indoors during mobilization, demobilization, and anytime they cannot maintain six feet of distance regardless of vaccination status.

ALL EMPLOYEES MUST QUARANTINE AFTER POTENTIAL EXPOSURE TO COVID-19

All employees, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to quarantine and/or receive a negative test after potential exposure to COVID-19. Employees may return to work If the potential source of the infection tests negative for COVID-19. Otherwise, the employee will be required to demonstrate a negative COVID-19 test or quarantine for a period of 14 days from the date of potential exposure before returning to work.

As a reminder, beginning July 27 employees who have not demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated by showing their original CDC vaccination card to Human Resources will no longer be allowed to work from home while quarantining. Non-vaccinated employees who are told to quarantine, whether by MSD or by a medical professional, will need to use sick leave or personal leave during that time.

Vaccinated employees will be allowed to work from home or from an isolated work location.

EMPLOYEES MUST FOLLOW LOCAL GUIDELINES AT EXTERNAL WORK EVENTS

MASKS REQUIRED INDOORS WHEN NOT ALONE AT YOUR DESK; CONTINUE TO REGISTER VACCINATION STATUS

As Tracey Coleman, Director of Human Resources, announced in an email last week, MSD employees must wear masks indoors when not alone at their desks, regardless of their vaccination status. This policy change coincided with St. Louis City and St. Louis County reinstating their mask mandates and CDC recommendations.

Although all employees are currently required to wear masks indoors, we encourage employees to continue registering their vaccination status with Human Resources. Demonstrated vaccination status still affects whether or not employees can participate in outside activities and quarantine requirements after exposure. Further, when it is safe to do so, and local public health guidelines allow, MSD will likely once again remove mask requirements for fully-vaccinated employees.

CASUAL DRESS CODE ALLOWED AT ALL TIMES UNLESS SITUATION CALLS FOR BUSINESS CASUAL

Since last April, MSD has allowed employees to wear casual dress as outlined in the Dress Code and Personal Appearance Policy. MSD senior management has decided to allow employees to follow the casual dress code at all times moving forward unless a meeting, event, or other situation calls for business casual dress. The previous schedule was to begin reinforcing the regular dress code beginning August 2.

The Dress Code and Personal Appearance Policy outlines what is considered appropriate casual dress at MSD. All employees are encouraged to review that policy. Managers have been instructed to enforce the casual dress code as outlined in that policy.

REMINDER: USE VIRTUAL MEETINGS WHEN POSSIBLE

As a reminder, the first choice for employee meetings at MSD facilities is still virtual unless there is a compelling reason to have the meeting in person.

MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES UPDATED TO REFLECT CHANGES IN MASK REQUIREMENTS, RETURN TO WORK AFTER POTENTIAL EXPOSURE

The MSD COVID-19 Guidelines were updated last Friday to reflect the changes in mask requirements. As outlined above, all employees, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a mask indoors unless they are alone at their desks. See “Masks required indoor…” above for more information.

An updated version of the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines will take effect on Monday, August 2, to reflect the changes in quarantine guidelines. As outlined above, all employees must quarantine and/or get a negative test after potential exposure. Employees who have not demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated by showing their original CDC vaccination card to Human Resources will no longer be allowed to work from home while quarantining.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

THREE EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 128 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

Special Update - St. Louis City/County Reinstate Mask Mandate - July 23, 2021

An update from Tracey Coleman.

EMAIL SENT July 23, 2021, 3:03 p.m.

The Delta Variant of COVID caused an increase in hospitalizations throughout St. Louis City and County. As a result, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and County Executive Dr. Sam Page are requiring masks be worn in indoor public places and on public transportation effectively immediately.

The District will follow this mandate regardless of vaccine status.

Employees are required to wear a mask indoors unless sitting isolated at their work station.
Employees are required to wear a mask outdoors – if the work space cannot accommodate a 6 foot distance between co-workers.

Thank you,

Tracey Coleman

MSD COVID-19 Update - July 23, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT July 23, 2021, 12:28.m.

WHATS NEW?

CEO Brian Hoelscher reminds employees to continue following COVID-19 guidelines and consider getting vaccinated as the Delta variant spreads through the region. Employees who violate COVID-19 guidelines will face discipline up to and including dismissal. For more information, see “Message from CEO Brian Hoelscher…” below.
There were no changes to the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines this week. As a reminder, several revisions are scheduled to take effect beginning August 2. For more information, see “No changes to COVID-19 Guidelines” below.
There were three new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “Two Employees Tested Positive…” below.

—–

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MESSAGE FROM CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER – DELTA VARIANT REINFORCES IMPORTANCE OF FOLLOWING COVID-19 GUIDELINES

St. Louis County issued an advisory regarding increased COVID-19 cases, including among those who are vaccinated, as the Delta variant is spreading in the St. Louis area. Please find that advisory attached.

This serves as a poignant reminder that it is just as important as ever for all employees to abide by the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines according to their vaccination status. Senior staff is intently monitoring to ensure all employees abide by these rules.

Remember that violation of MSD’s COVID-19 guidelines is considered endangering fellow coworkers. Employees who violate these guidelines will be disciplined accordingly, up to and including dismissal.

I encourage everyone who has not already done so to strongly consider getting vaccinated. As the St. Louis County Public Health Advisory emphasized, the vaccine provides strong protection against hospitalization and death from COVID-19, including the Delta variant. More importantly, getting vaccinated protects your coworkers and their families and reduces the opportunity for additional, possibly more problematic variants, to develop.

Senior staff will continue to monitor this dynamic situation and may institute new guidelines or re-institute previous COVID-19 guidelines to promote a healthy workplace.

NO CHANGES TO COVID-19 GUIDELINES

As a reminder, several changes are scheduled to occur on August 2, including:

Masks required at yards during mobilization and demobilization (see above)
Non-vaccinated employees will no longer be allowed to work from home during quarantine (see above)
Staggered schedules will end at yards

As always, this is a fluid situation, and this schedule is subject to change. The MSD COVID-19 guidelines document will be updated as new policies go into effect.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

DID YOU KNOW?

When the COVID-19 virus continues to spread, there are more opportunities for the virus to change and for new variants to emerge. According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccines offer protection against currently known variants, and getting vaccinated is the best way to protect you, your family, and your community. The CDC encourages everyone who is able to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and their community. Learn more: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccination opportunities can be found on the St. Louis County website here.

THREE EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 125 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

In the spirit of continued transparency, we have put together a graph showing employees who have reported testing positive for COVID-19 since March of 2020. The blue bars show the total number of employees who tested positive for COVID-19 each month, and the orange line shows the accumulated total number of employees who have tested positive over time.

STAY INFORMED

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - July 16, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT July 16, 2021, 11:29.m.

WHATS NEW?

Masks will be required indoors at yards during mobilization and demobilization beginning August 2. Non-vaccinated employees will still be required to wear masks whenever indoors or when they cannot achieve six feet of distance. For more information, see “Masks required indoors at yards during mobilization, demobilization…” below.
The schedule to phase out work from home options is postponed until September 7. Directors may bring employees in more frequently prior to September 7 at their discretion. For more information, see “Work from home phase-out postponed…” below.
Non-vaccinated employees will no longer be allowed to work from home during quarantine beginning August 2. For more information, see “Non-vaccinated employees no longer allowed to work from home…” below.
MSD to resume enforcing the regular dress code on August 2. For more information, see “Reminder: dress code reinforcement…” below.
There was one new COVID-19 infection among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “One Employee Tested Positive…” below.

—–

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MASKS REQUIRED INDOORS AT YARDS DURING MOBILIZATION, DEMOBILIZATION BEGINNING AUGUST 2

Beginning August 2, all employees at yards will be required to wear masks indoors during mobilization and demobilization regardless of vaccination status. Outside of mobilization and demobilization, fully vaccinated employees who have registered with Human Resources do not need to wear masks. Employees who have not demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated must continue to wear masks indoors and outdoors when they cannot maintain six feet of distance.

This measure coincides with the end of staggard schedules at yards which are still scheduled to end on August 2. This is not a permenant policy but rather an added precaution as we shift to more standard practices.

WORK FROM HOME PHASE-OUT POSTPONED UNTIL AFTER LABOR DAY AT THE DISCRETION OF DIRECTORS

The schedule to phase out work from home options is postponed until after Labor Day (September 6, 2021). The previous schedule was to begin phasing out work from home options on August 2 with the goal of returning to regular in-office attendance by September 7.

Directors may require some employees to return to the office more frequently prior to September 7 at their discretion, but widescale in-office attendance will not resume until after Labor Day.

NON-VACCINATED EMPLOYEES NO LONGER ALLOWED TO WORK FROM HOME DURING QUARANTINE BEGINNING AUGUST 2

Beginning August 2, employees who have not demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated by showing their original CDC vaccination card to Human Resources will no longer be allowed to work from home while quarantining. Non-vaccinated employees who are told to quarantine, whether by MSD or by a medical professional, will need to use sick leave or personal leave during that time.

REMINDER: DRESS CODE REINFORCEMENT BEGINS AUGUST 2

As a reminder, MSD will end the relaxed dress code and resume enforcing the standard employee dress code on Monday, August 2.

NO CHANGES TO COVID-19 GUIDELINES

As a reminder, several changes are scheduled to occur on August 2, including:

Masks required at yards during mobilization and demobilization (see above)
Non-vaccinated employees will no longer be allowed to work from home during quarantine (see above)
Staggered schedules will end at yards

As always, this is a fluid situation, and this schedule is subject to change. The MSD COVID-19 guidelines document will be updated as new policies go into effect.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Delta variant spreads more easily than other COVID-19 variants. Early data suggest that the Delta variant now makes up more than 50% of U.S. COVID-19 cases. The CDC encourages everyone who is able to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and their community. Learn more: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccination opportunities can be found on the St. Louis County website here.

ONE EMPLOYEE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 122 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

As always, please find the most up-to-date information on the website at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. There you will find the most recently updated MSD COVID-19 Guidelines (effective July 6), the most recently updated FAQ document, all COVID-19 emails, and a list of printable resources. If you have additional questions, please send them to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - July 9, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT July 9, 2021, 11:06 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

A message from Brian Hoelscher thanking employees for following the new COVID-19 guidelines.
St. Louis City and St. Louis County issued a joint advisory about rising cases of COVID-19. It is especially important that employees continue to follow MSD’s COVID-19 Guidelines. For more information, see “City/County issue advisory about Delta variant…” below.
Brian Hoelscher issued a new video message last week. For more information, see “Reminder: video message from Brian Hoelscher…” below.
MSD to resume enforcing the regular dress code on August 2. For more information, see “Reminder: dress code reinforcement…” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A MESSAGE FROM CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER

I would like to thank all of you for doing an excellent job in adjusting to and following the updated guidelines that were set in place this past week. Both myself and the senior management team have noticed that everyone is looking out for one another and diligently maintaining social distancing. Please keep up the good work, and thanks again for all of your efforts to keep one another safe.

CITY/COUNTY ISSUE ADVISORY ABOUT DELTA VARIANT; NO CHANGES TO MSD GUIDELINES

As I mentioned in an email earlier this week, St. Louis City and St. Louis County issued a joint advisory about rising cases of COVID-19 with the emergence of the Delta variant. Please find that advisory attached.

With rising cases, it is especially important that all employees continue to follow MSD’s COVID Guidelines.

MSD has not changed its guidelines this week. As a reminder, fully vaccinated employees are no longer required to wear masks as of this past Tuesday, July 7.

An employee is considered fully vaccinated if:

They received their final recommended dose of the vaccine at least two weeks prior (two doses for Pfizer or Moderna, one dose for Johnson and Johnson)
They showed their completed original CDC vaccination card to Human Resources

MSD employees who have not demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated to Human Resources must continue to follow guidelines for non-vaccinated employees.

REMINDER: VIDEO MESSAGE FROM CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER

As a reminder, last week, CEO Brian Hoelscher issued a video message updating employees on recent changes to COVID-19 guidelines.

If you haven’t already done so, please watch Brian’s video message here.

REMINDER: DRESS CODE REINFORCEMENT BEGINS AUGUST 2

As a reminder, MSD will end the relaxed dress code and resume enforcing the standard employee dress code on Monday, August 2.

DID YOU KNOW?

COVID-19 cases are increasing in the United States. The 7-day average of daily new cases is 13,859, up 10.8% from the week before. The CDC encourages everyone who is able to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and their community. Learn more: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccination opportunities can be found on the St. Louis County website here.

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

As always, please find the most up-to-date information on the website at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. There you will find the most recently updated MSD COVID-19 Guidelines (effective July 6), the most recently updated FAQ document, all COVID-19 emails, and a list of printable resources. If you have additional questions, please send them to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

Update - July 6, 2021

An update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT July 6, 2021, 1:20 p.m.

Hi All,

We wanted to update everyone on some COVID News that came out from the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County. Attached is a press release that was sent outlining the emergence of the Delta Variant. With this latest news coming out over the weekend it is very important that ALL employees remain diligent in following the rules that have been set in place by senior management.

Remember that employees who are fully vaccinated and have registered with HR are no longer required to wear a mask, but must continue to follow the guidelines outlined below that pertain to being fully vaccinated and registered with HR. Employees who have NOT received the vaccination or have Not registered with HR are still required to wear a mask and follow original exposure and quarantine guidelines.

This is all very important that we continue to follow the rules in order to keep each other safe while here in the workplace. If we do not abide by these rules, in order to keep each other safe, MSD management will go back to a Mask Mandate.

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - June 30, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT June 30, 2021, 11:59 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

Brian Hoelscher addresses employees in a video message. For more information, see “Video message from Brian Hoelscher or click here…” below.
Work from home phase out and return of in-person employee activities postponed. Indoor employee activities at MSD facilities may resume beginning August 2. The phase-out of work from home options will begin on August 2, with regular in-office attendance in place by September 7. For more information, see “Return of employee activities…” below.
The MSD COVID-19 Guidelines were updated to reflect the scheduled changes, including mask requirements, capacity restrictions, and disinfection measures. For more information, see “Reminder – updated COVID-19 policies…” below.
Employees who violate COVID-19 guidelines will be subject to discipline. This includes employees who have not demonstrated their vaccination status following guidelines for fully vaccinated employees. For more information, see “High infection rates in Missouri serve as reminder… ” below.
Several COVID-19 restrictions are scheduled to reduce or phase out on or by July 6, as we’ve mentioned in previous updates. For more information, see “Reminder – updated COVID-19 policies…” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

VIDEO MESSAGE FROM CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER

In his latest video message, CEO Brian Hoelscher updates employees on recent and upcoming changes to COVID-19 guidelines.

Watch Brian’s video message here.

WORK FROM HOME PHASE-OUT, RETURN OF EMPLOYEE ACTIVITIES POSTPONED TO AUGUST 2

Senior management has decided to postpone the return of indoor employee activities and the phase-out of work from home options to August 2.

Indoor employee activities at MSD facilities, such as retirements, will be allowed to resume beginning Monday, August 2, 2021. The first choice for employee meetings at MSD facilities should still be virtual unless there is a compelling reason to have the meeting in person. Non-MSD employees will not be allowed to attend in-office activities.

The phase-out of work from home options will begin on August 2, with the goal to have all employees returned to regular in-office attendance by Tuesday, September 7. Previously, the phasing out of work from home options was scheduled to begin July 6.

Department Directors will have the discretion to allow employees to work from home no more than one day a week; however, this is not a permanent work from home policy. Non-Market facilities will still end dedensification measures, including staggered starts and work from home options, on Monday, August 2, 2021.

REMINDER – UPDATED COVID-19 POLICIES SCHEDULED TO TAKE EFFECT JULY 6

As we’ve stated in the last several updates, senior management has set a schedule to reduce or phase out several COVID-19 measures currently in place in accordance with local and national public health guidelines.

Below is a chart briefly outlining those scheduled changes. Please review previous weekly updates for full details on the scheduled changes.

Please note that senior management postponed the return of employee activities and the phase-out of work from home options from July 6 to August 2. See “Work from home phase-out…” above for more information.

WHAT’S CHANGING?	WHAT’S THE SAME?
Vaccinated employees will no longer be required to wear masks beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Employees must demonstrate that they are fully vaccinated by showing their completed vaccination card to Human Resources.	Masks are still required for employees who have not demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated employees may still wear a mask in the office to provide additional protections for themselves and their fellow coworkers.
Room capacity restrictions will be removed or phased out by July 6, 2021.	Even after room restrictions are removed, employees will still be required to maintain 6 feet of social distance between themselves and other employees.
Increased cleaning and disinfection will be phased out by July 6, 2021.	Employees will still be required to practice appropriate hygiene, such as frequently washing hands, especially before and after touching shared surfaces.
Dedensification measures such as staggered starts and work from home options will be phased out beginning August 2, with a return to regular practices by Tuesday, September 7.	Whether fully vaccinated or not, employees must still report when they experience COVID-like symptoms and avoid coming to work.
Indoor employee activities at MSD facilities, such as retirements, will be allowed to resume beginning Monday, August 2, 2021.	The first choice for employee meetings at MSD facilities should still be virtual unless there is a compelling reason to have the meeting in person.

We continue to monitor information from public health experts to help guide our ongoing policy decisions. As such, these policies are subject to change if senior management deems it necessary to promote a healthy workplace.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines. (Please note, this updated version of the guidelines takes effect next Tuesday, July 6)

EMPLOYEES WHO VIOLATE MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINE

As stated in the MSD Infectious Disease Control Policy, “falsification of one’s fully vaccinated status and any other violation of the MSD COVID-19 Health and Safety Guidelines will be considered a violation of District Rules and policies, subject to discipline up to and including termination.” This includes employees who have not demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated following guidelines for fully vaccinated employees.

MSD employees who have not demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated to Human Resources must continue to follow guidelines for non-vaccinated employees. MSD defines an employee as fully vaccinated if they received their last required COVID-19 vaccine shot at least two weeks prior AND submitted their original CDC vaccine card to Human Resources.

DID YOU KNOW?

As of June 28, 2021, more than 179 million people had received at least one dose of a #COVID19 vaccine. Of those, more than 153 million are fully vaccinated. The CDC encourages everyone who is able to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and their community. Learn more: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccination opportunities can be found on the St. Louis County website here.

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

As always, please find the most up-to-date information on the website at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. There you will find the most recently updated MSD COVID-19 Guidelines (effective July 6), the most recently updated FAQ document, all COVID-19 emails, and a list of printable resources. If you have additional questions, please send them to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

Until next week,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - June 25, 2021

A regular weekly update from Bess McCoy

EMAIL SENT June 25, 2021, 11:38 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

The MSD COVID-19 Guidelines were updated to reflect the requirement that employees register their COVID-19 vaccination card with Human Resources to be considered fully vaccinated. For more information, see “MSD COVID-19 Guidelines updated…” below.
With COVID-19 infection rates high in Missouri, please continue to follow MSD and public health guidelines both at work and in your free time. For more information, see “High infection rates in Missouri serve as reminder… ” below.
Several COVID-19 restrictions are scheduled to reduce or phase out on or by July 6, as we’ve mentioned in previous updates. For more information, see “Reminder – updated COVID-19 policies…” below.
There was one new COVID-19 infection among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “One Employee Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES UPDATED TO REFLECT REQUIREMENTS TO DEMONSTRATE VACCINATION STATUS

The MSD COVID-19 Guidelines were updated to reflect the requirement that employees must register their COVID-19 vaccination card with Human Resources to be considered fully vaccinated. Previous guidelines stated that employees should show their vaccination cards to their supervisors.

As a reminder, MSD defines an employee as fully vaccinated if they received their last required COVID-19 vaccine shot at least two weeks prior. For employees who received a two-dose vaccine (such as Pfizer or Moderna), their vaccination card must show that the employee received both doses.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

HIGH INFECTION RATES IN MISSOURI SERVE AS A REMINDER TO CONTINUE FOLLOWING MSD, PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDELINES

As many of you may have seen in recent news reports, Missouri currently leads the country in COVID-19 infections per capita. This news serves as a poignant reminder that the virus is still a threat, and we must all continue to be vigilant to follow safety guidelines at work and in our free time.

MSD’s safety policies are meant to reduce the likelihood of asymptomatic spread, but you are our first line of defense. Thank you for your vigilance in taking reasonable precautions to promote health and safety.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

REMINDER – UPDATED COVID-19 POLICIES SCHEDULED TO TAKE EFFECT JULY 6

Below is a chart briefly outlining those scheduled changes. Please review previous weekly updates for full details on the scheduled changes.

WHAT’S CHANGING?	WHAT’S THE SAME?
Vaccinated employees will no longer be required to wear masks beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Employees must demonstrate that they are fully vaccinated by showing their completed vaccination card to Human Resources.	Masks are still required for employees who have not demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated employees may still wear a mask in the office to provide additional protections for themselves and their fellow coworkers.
Room capacity restrictions will be removed or phased out by July 6, 2021.	Even after room restrictions are removed, employees will still be required to maintain 6 feet of social distance between themselves and other employees.
Increased cleaning and disinfection will be phased out by July 6, 2021.	Employees will still be required to practice appropriate hygiene, such as frequently washing hands, especially before and after touching shared surfaces.
Dedensification measures such as staggered starts and work from home options will be phased out beginning July 6, with a return to regular practices by Monday, August 2, 2021.	Whether fully vaccinated or not, employees must still report when they experience COVID-like symptoms and avoid coming to work.
Indoor Activities such as retirements at MSD facilities will be allowed to resume beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2021.	The first choice for employee meetings at MSD facilities should still be virtual unless there is a compelling reason to have the meeting in person.

DID YOU KNOW?

Overall, trends in COVID-19 cases continue to improve across the United States. The 7-day average of daily new cases is 11,282, down 7.1% from the week before. The CDC encourages everyone who is able to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and their community. Learn more: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccination opportunities can be found on the St. Louis County website here.

ONE EMPLOYEE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 121 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Bess McCoy
Public Affairs Specialist

MSD COVID-19 Update - June 17, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT June 17, 2021, 11:41 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

Vaccine cards must include complete dosage records before submitting to human resources. Employees who received a two-dose vaccine such as Pfizer or Moderna must have both doses on their vaccine card. For more information, see “Vaccine card must show full vaccination status…” below.
Although some COVID-19 restrictions are scheduled to relax, many remain in place after July 6, including social distancing, practicing good hygiene, mask-wearing for employees who are not fully vaccinated, staying home if you are sick, and prioritizing virtual meetings when possible. For more information, see “Many COVID-19 policies remain in place after July 6 ” below.
Several COVID-19 restrictions are scheduled to reduce or phase out on or by July 6, as we’ve mentioned in previous updates. For more information, see “Reminder: several restrictions to phase out July 6” below.
MSD signed a contract for additional parking at Market Street office. Beginning July 1, employees will once again be able to park in the lot by the FBI building. For more information, see “Additional Market Street office parking available July 1” below.
There was one new COVID-19 infection among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “One Employee Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

VACCINE CARD MUST SHOW FULL VACCINATION STATUS BEFORE SUBMITTING TO HUMAN RESOURCES

MSD defines an employee as fully vaccinated if they received their last required COVID-19 vaccine shot at least two weeks prior.

For employees who received a two-dose vaccine (such as Pfizer or Moderna), their vaccination card must show that:

the employee has received two doses
the second dose was administered at least two weeks prior

For employees who received a single-dose vaccine (such as Johnson & Johnson), their vaccination card must show that:

the employee has received one dose
the vaccine was administered at least two weeks prior

Last week, Human Resources shared additional details on how employees can demonstrate their vaccination status. Employees are always welcome to bring their vaccine card to Market Street, Monday-Friday, from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In addition to Market Street, a schedule of when and where employees can present their vaccine cards is available on the COVID-19 website.

MANY COVID-19 POLICIES REMAIN IN PLACE AFTER JULY 6

While MSD is taking steps to responsibly relax COVID restrictions at the workplace, it is important to remember that the coronavirus is still very dangerous. As such, even after several restrictions relax on July 6 (see below), many policies will remain in place. It is essential that all employees continue to follow these policies so we can continue to achieve our goal of serving our customers while protecting the health and safety of our fellow coworkers.

As a reminder, the following restrictions will still be in place after July 6:

Social distancing: Even after room restrictions are removed, employees will still be required to maintain 6 feet of social distance between themselves and other employees.
Practice good hygiene: Employees will still be required to practice appropriate hygiene, such as frequently washing hands, especially before and after touching shared surfaces.
Wear a mask if not fully vaccinated: While employees who demonstrate that they are fully vaccinated by showing their vaccination card to HR can choose not to wear a mask starting July 6, employees who do not demonstrate their vaccination status will still be required to wear a mask. Fully vaccinated employees may still wear a mask in the office to provide additional protections for themselves and their fellow coworkers.
Stay home if you are sick: Employees, whether fully vaccinated or not, must still report to MSD when they experience COVID-like symptoms and avoid coming to work.
Use virtual meetings when possible: Even after indoor activities at MSD facilities are allowed to resume, the first choice for employee meetings at MSD facilities is still virtual unless there is a compelling reason to have the meeting in person.

REMINDER: SEVERAL RESTRICTIONS TO PHASE OUT JULY 6

In accordance with local and national public health guidelines, senior management has set a schedule to reduce or phase out several COVID-19 measures currently in place.

The following COVID-19 measures will change beginning on or by July 6:

Dedensification measures: The Market Street facility will begin reducing work from home options on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, and will return to regular in-office attendance by Monday, August 2, 2021. Department Directors will have the discretion to allow employees to work from home no more than one day a week; however, this is not a permanent work from home policy.Non-Market facilities will end dedensification measures, including staggered starts and work from home options, on Monday, August 2, 2021.

Masks: Beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2021, employees who have demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated with Human Resources will not be required to wear masks in office settings. Violation of this measure will be treated as if one employee has put another employee in danger.More information on how to demonstrate vaccination status can be found above under “Vaccine card must show full vaccination status” above. Employees who have not demonstrated their vaccination status will be required to continue following MSD’s mask guidelines for non-vaccinated employees.
Room capacity restrictions and increased cleaning and disinfection will be removed or phased out by July 6, 2021.

Indoor Activities such as retirements at MSD facilities will be allowed to resume beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2021. The first choice for employee meetings at MSD facilities should still be virtual unless there is a compelling reason to have the meeting in person.

We continue to monitor information from public health experts to help guide our ongoing policy decisions. Prior to July 6, 2021, senior management intends to review and possibly update changes to the above restrictions if deemed necessary.

NO CHANGES TO COVID-19 GUIDELINES

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

DID YOU KNOW?

As of June 14, 2021, more than 174.2 million people had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Of those, over 144.9 million are fully vaccinated. If you’re fully vaccinated, you can do things you couldn’t do because of the pandemic. Learn more: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccinations are available at:

University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL) Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30 to 6:00 p.m. and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
John C. Murphy Health Center in Berkeley Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
South County Health Center in Sunset Hills Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
North Central Community Health Center in Pine Lawn Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

ADDITIONAL MARKET STREET OFFICE PARKING AVAILABLE BEGINNING JULY 1

MSD has signed a contract that will take effect on July 1 for 50 parking spaces in the lot beside the FBI building. Prior to the start of the soccer stadium construction, this parking lot was available to MSD employees. These additional spaces should ensure that ample parking is available when employees return to regular in-office work in August.

ONE EMPLOYEE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 120 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Manager of Public Affairs

MSD COVID-19 Update - June 11, 2021

A regular weekly update from Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT June 11, 2021, 11:30 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

MSD to relax some COVID restrictions at the workplace beginning July 6, 2021. Senior management continues to monitor and evaluate the latest restrictions. The coronavirus is still very dangerous and it is important for all employees to continue to follow restrictions. For more information, see “MSD to relax some COVID restrictions..” below
Mask requirements to be lifted for fully vaccinated employees beginning July 6, 2021. Any employee who demonstrates they are fully vaccinated may stop wearing a mask in the office setting on July 6. For more information see “Mask requirements…” below.
REMNDER – the Infectious Disease Control Policy was updated to reflect recent public health guidelines. There were no changes to the COVID-19 Guidelines document this week. For more information, see “Updated Infectious Disease Control Policy… ” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccineto help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” Below.
There was one new COVID-19 infection among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “One Employee Tested Positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSD TO RELAX SOME COVID RESTRICTIONS AT THE WORKPLACE BEGNINING JULY 6, 2021

While MSD is doing what we can to responsibly relax COVID restrictions at the workplace. The coronavirus is still very dangerous, and it is important that all employees continue to follow the restrictions that will still be in place as of July 6. Please keep in mind that the only way this works is if employees are responsible and follow the restrictions still in place to protect their fellow employees. Here are a few reminders about what restrictions will still be in place starting July 6:

Even though there will not be posted room restrictions, employees will still be required to maintain 6 feet of social distance between themselves and other employees at all times.
Employees will still be required to continue appropriate hygiene such as washing hands, etc.
Starting July 6, Employees do not have to wear mask in office settings if they register with HR that they are fully vaccinated.See “MASK REQUIREMENTS” section for more details
Fully vaccinated employees may still wear a mask in the office to provide additional protections for themselves and their fellow co-workers.
Employees, whether fully vaccinated or not, must still report to MSD when they experience COVID like symptoms and avoid coming to work.
Even though indoor activities at MSD facilities will be allowed to resume, the first choice for employee meetings atMSD facilities is still virtual, unless there is a compelling reason to have the meeting in person.

We continue to monitor information from public health experts to help guide our ongoing policy decisions. As such, this schedule is subject to change if senior management deems it necessary to promote a healthy workplace.

MASK REQUIREMENT TO BE LIFTED FOR FULLY VACCINATED EMPLOYEES BEGNING JULY 6, 2021

Beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2021, employees who have demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated with Human Resources will not be required to wear masks in office settings. Violation of this measure will be treated as if one employee has put another employee in danger.

Earlier this week, Human Resources shared additional details on how employees can demonstrate their vaccination status prior to July 6. Employees are always welcome to bring their vaccine card to Market Street, Monday-Friday from 6:30am-4:30pm. In addition to Market Street, a schedule of when and where you can present your vaccine card can be found on the COVID-19 website.

MSD defines an employee as fully vaccinated if they received their last required COVID-19 vaccine shot at least two weeks prior.

Employees who have not demonstrated their vaccination status will be required to continue following MSD’s mask guidelines for non-vaccinated employees.

REMINDER: UPDATED INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONTROL POLICY; NO CHANGES TO COVID-19 GUIDELINES

As we mentioned last week, MSD’s senior management has updated the Infectious Disease Control Policy to reflect recent public health guidelines. Please find the updated document here or on the employee intranet.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

DID YOU KNOW?

Almost everyone in the United States lives within 5 miles of a COVID-19 vaccination site. As of June 7, 2021, more than 171 million people had received at least one dose of vaccine. Of those, over 139 million are fully vaccinated. Learn more: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines(Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast(Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information(Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs(Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

St. Louis County to offer vaccinations at University of Missouri St. Louis Campus

St. Louis County announced this week that they will be partnering with University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL) to provide a vaccination site in North St. Louis County. This site will help to serve those in some of the region’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. The Health Department is offering both the Pfizer and the Johnson & Johnson vaccines at the site, which is on the third floor of the Millennium Student Center at 17 Arnold B. Grobman Drive, St. Louis, MO 63121. The clinic will operate through the end of July on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:30 to 6 p.m. and on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome, and appointments are available at stlcorona.com.

Other walk-in vaccinations are still available at the following:

Louis Community College at Forest Park Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
John C. Murphy Health Center in Berkeley Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
South County Health Center in Sunset Hills Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
North Central Community Health Center in Pine Lawn Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

ONE EMPLOYEE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 119 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

As we close out this week with so many changes and with the country starting to move back into some since of normalcy, one of our employees experienced a situation yesterday. I’m sharing this with you to maybe brighten up your weekend or even day as we continue to work together and truly show each other that we are “All in this together.” Please read the email below shared from Tracy Rodgers and have a great weekend or (depending on when you read this) week.

Remember you can always find the most up-to-date information on the website at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. There you will find the most recently updated MSD COVID-19 Guidelines, the most recently updated FAQ document, all COVID-19 emails, and a list of printable resources. If you have additional questions, please send them to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

Until next Friday,

Sean

MSD COVID-19 Update - June 7, 2021

An update from Human Resources.

EMAIL SENT June 7, 2021, 08:53 a.m.

Beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2021, employees who voluntarily present documentation of their fully vaccinated* status to Human Resources will not be required to wear masks indoors.

We ask all employees, regardless of vaccination status, to continue monitoring your health and inform your supervisor and/or HR immediately if you experience any COVID symptoms.

Employees who choose to withhold their vaccination status will be required follow MSD’s previous mask guidelines.

*A fully vaccinated status is:

2 weeks after the second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

Procedure for presenting fully vaccinated documentation:

Human Resource Staff will review the original CDC vaccine card. Copies/Digital Pictures of the vaccine card will not be accepted.
A scanned image of the card will be taken by an HR Staff Member. This image will be temporarily maintained within the HR Department.
The original CDC vaccine card will be handed back to the owner.

On-site June schedule for vaccine documentation:

Date	Start Time/End Time	Site Name	Location within Site	HR STAFF
06/08/2021	6 a.m. to 8 a.m.	Grand Glaize Yard	Upstairs Conference Room	Dino/Joey
06/08/2021	6 a.m. to 8 a.m.	Grand Glaize Treatment Plant	Lunchroom	Jenny
06/08/2021	6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.	County Pump Station	GG1025 Conference Room	Chris
06/08/2021	6 a.m. to 7 a.m.	Sulphur	Large Conference Room	Marcus/Sean
06/08/2021	6 a.m. to 7 a.m.	Mintert	Large Conference Room on Second Floor	Hope/Dennis
06/08/2021	2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	Grand Glaize Treatment Plant – 2^nd Shift	Lunchroom	Jenny
06/09/2021	6 a.m. to 8 a.m.	Grand Glaize Yard	Upstairs Conference Room	Dino/Joey
06/09/2021	6 a.m. to 8 a.m.	Grand Glaize Treatment Plant	Lunchroom	Jenny
06/09/2021	6 a.m. to 7 a.m.	County Pump Station	GG1025 Conference Room	Chris
06/09/2021	6 a.m. to 7 a.m.	Sulphur	Large Conference Room	Marcus/Sean
06/09/2021	6 a.m. to 7 a.m.	Mintert	Large Conference Room on Second Floor	Hope/Adrienne
06/09/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	Market	HR Copy Room	LaKesha/Dee
06/09/2021	1p.m. to 2 p.m.	Market	HR Copy Room	Carmen/Steve/Dee
06/10/2021	6 a.m. to 7 a.m.	Bissell Treatment Plant	Front Conference Room	Carmen/LaKesha/Lorraine
06/10/2021	7 a.m. to 8 a.m.	Bissell Pump Station	Conference Room	Carmen/LaKesha/Lorraine
06/10/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	DEC	Conference Room	Carmen/LaKesha/Lorraine
06/10/2021	2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	Meramec Treatment Plant 2^nd Shift	Lunchroom	Chris
06/10/2021	2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	Bissell Treatment Plant 2^nd Shift	Front Conference Room	Dennis
06/11/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	Meramec Treatment Plant	Lunchroon	Dee/LaKesha
06/11/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	Market	HR Copy Room	Steve/Carmen/Chris
06/11/2021	1 p.m. to 2 p.m.	Market	HR Copy Room	Steve/Carmen/Kim
06/14/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	Coldwater Treatment Plant	Conference Room	Hope
06/15/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	MO River Treatment Plant	Conference Room	Adrienne
06/16/2021	6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.	Lemay Pump Station	Conference Room	Chris/Belinda
06/16/2021	7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.	Lemay Treatment Plant	Admin Bldg – Front Conference Room	Chris/Belinda
06/16/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	Market	HR Copy Room	Hope/Lorraine/Jenny
06/16/2021	1 p.m. to 2 p.m.	Market	HR Copy Room	Hope/Lorraine/Jenny
06/16/2021	2 p.m. to 3 p.m.	Lemay Treatment Plant – 2^nd Shift	Admin Bldg – Front Conference Room	Adrienne
06/21/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	Coldwater Treatment Plant	Conference Room	Hope
06/22/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	MO River Treatment Plant	Conference Room	Adrienne
06/23/2021	6 a.m. to 7 a.m.	Lemay Pump Station	Conference Room	Belinda/Chris
06/23/2021	7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.	Lemay Treatment Plant	Admin Bldg – Front Conference Room	Belinda/Chris
06/23/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	Market	HR Copy Room	Steve/Lisa/Sherry
06/23/2021	1 p.m. to 2 p.m.	Market	HR Copy Room	Steve/Lisa/Sherry
06/24/2021	6 a.m. to 7 a.m.	Bissell Treatment Plant	Front Conference Room	Carmen/LaKesha/Lorraine
06/24/2021	7 a.m. to 8 a.m.	Bissell Pump Station	Conference Room	Carmen/LaKesha/Lorraine
06/24/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	DEC	Conference Room	Carmen/LaKesha/Lorraine
06/25/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	Meramec Treatment Plant	Lunchroon	Dee
06/25/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	Market	HR Copy Room	Steve/Lisa/Sherry
06/25/2021	1 p.m. to 2 p.m.	Market	HR Copy Room	Steve/Lisa/Sherry
06/30/2021	8 a.m. to 9 a.m.	Market	HR Copy Room	Jenny/Carmen
06/30/2021	1 p.m. to 2 p.m.	Market	HR Copy Room	Jenny/Carmen

Please Note: Employee vaccine information is confidential. Vaccine status will not be retained within the employee’s personnel file.

MSD COVID-19 Update - June 4, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT June 4, 2021, 11:57 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

Senior management is aligning several portions of the MSD’s COVID-19 policies with recent public health guidelines.
- Dedensification measures such as work from home and staggered starts will end on August 2. Offices will begin phasing out dedensification measures on July 6 with regular in-office attendance by August 2.
- Masks will not be required for fully vaccinated employees who register with HR beginning July 6.
- Increased cleaning and disinfecting will be phased out by July 6.
- Room capacity limits will be lifted by July 6.
- Dress code enforcement will resume on August 2.

Senior management will continue to monitor information from public health experts to help guide our ongoing policy decisions. As such, this schedule is subject to change if it is necessary to promote a healthy workplace. For more information, see “MSD to begin reducing work from home, staggered starts…” below.

REMINDER – the Infectious Disease Control Policy was updated to reflect recent public health guidelines. There were no changes to the COVID-19 Guidelines document this week. For more information, see “Updated Infectious Disease Control Policy… ” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSD TO BEGIN PHASING OUT WORK FROM HOME, STAGGERED STARTS, MASKS, AND OTHER MEASURES

In accordance with recent local and national public health guidelines, senior management has set a schedule to reduce or phase out several COVID-19 measures currently in place.

Dedensification Measures:

Non-Market facilities will end dedensification measures, including staggered starts and work from home options on Monday, August 2, 2021.

The Market Street facility will begin reducing work from home options on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, and will return to regular in-office attendance by Monday, August 2, 2021. Department Directors will have the discretion to allow employees to work from home no more than one day a week, however, this is not a permanent work from home policy.

Masks:

Beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2021, employees who have demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated with Human Resources will not be required to wear masks indoors. Human Resources will share additional details on how employees can demonstrate their vaccination status prior to July 6.

MSD defines an employee as fully vaccinated if they received their last required COVID-19 vaccine shot at least two weeks ago.

Employees who have not demonstrated their vaccination status will be required to continue following MSD’s mask guidelines for non-vaccinated employees.

Increased Cleaning and Disinfecting:

By Tuesday, July 6, 2021, MSD will phase out its increased cleaning and disinfecting measures.

Room Capacity Restrictions:

Beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2021, MSD will remove all COVID-19-related room capacity limits.

Dress Code:

By Monday, August 2, 2021, MSD will resume enforcing the standard employee dress code.

Indoor Activities:

Beginning Tuesday, July 6, 2021, indoor activities, such as retirements at MSD facilities, will be allowed to resume.

We continue to monitor information from public health experts to help guide our ongoing policy decisions. As such, this schedule is subject to change if senior management deems it necessary to promote a healthy workplace.

REMINDER: UPDATED INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONTROL POLICY; NO CHANGES TO COVID-19 GUIDELINES

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

DID YOU KNOW?

More than 60% of American adults have received their first COVID-19 vaccine. Find out more about COVID-19 vaccination data on the CDC website.

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccinations are available at:

St. Louis Community College at Forest Park Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
John C. Murphy Health Center in Berkeley Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
South County Health Center in Sunset Hills Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
North Central Community Health Center in Pine Lawn Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean

MSD COVID-19 Update - May 28, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT May 28, 2021, 11:39 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

The Infectious Disease Control Policy was updated to reflect recent public health guidelines. There were no changes to the COVID-19 Guidelines document this week. For more information, see “Updated Infectious Disease Control Policy… ” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

UPDATED INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONTROL POLICY; NO CHANGES TO COVID-19 GUIDELINES

MSD’s senior management has updated the Infectious Disease Control Policy to reflect recent public health guidelines. Please find the updated document here or on the employee intranet.

As a reminder, several of the guidelines for fully vaccinated employees were updated last week including:

Fully vaccinated employees are no longer subject to quarantine for risky activities or potential exposure to COVID-19
Fully vaccinated employees can attend external work functions organized and/or sponsored by outside organizations.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

DID YOU KNOW?

As of May 24, 2021, more than 163 million people across the United States had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Of those, more than 130 million are fully vaccinated. Find out more about COVID-19 vaccination data on the CDC website.

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccinations are available at:

St. Louis Community College at Forest Park Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
John C. Murphy Health Center in Berkeley Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
South County Health Center in Sunset Hills Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
North Central Community Health Center in Pine Lawn Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Manager of Public Affairs

MSD COVID-19 Update - May 21, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT May 21, 2021, 12:06 p.m.

WHATS NEW?

MSD COVID-19 Guidelines were updated in consideration of the new CDC guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated employees may attend work functions organized by outside agencies and are no longer required to quarantine after risky behavior or potential exposure. For more information, see “Updated COVID-19 guidelines” below.
MSD is revising room capacity limits. New limits can be found on the signage outside each room. For more information, see “Revised room capacity limits” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

—–

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

UPDATED COVID-19 GUIDELINES

MSD’s leadership updated the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines in consideration of the CDC’s new guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated. There were several changes to the guidelines, so we encourage every employee to review the updated MSD COVID-119 Guidelines here.

Vaccination Status:

Many of the guidelines depend on whether an employee has demonstrated that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

MSD defines fully vaccinated as: Anyone who received their last required COVID-19 vaccine shot at least two weeks ago.

Natural recovery from COVID-19 does NOT count as being vaccinated.

To demonstrate status as fully vaccinated: Employees must show their CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card to their supervisor.

Employees who do not wish to demonstrate vaccination status: Must continue to follow guidelines for non-vaccinated employees.

Fully vaccinated employees are not subject to quarantine for risky activities or potential exposure to COVID-19 either at work or outside of work. They still must quarantine if they experience COVID-19 symptoms or if they test positive for COVID-19.
Fully vaccinated employees can attend external work functions organized and/or sponsored by outside organizations. When doing so, they must abide by all safety precautions of that event.

As always, MSD leadership will continue to monitor the situation and make appropriate updates to the guidelines to continue promoting a safe and healthy work environment.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

REVISED ROOM CAPACITY LIMITS

MSD is revising capacity limits in some conference rooms and restrooms. New capacity limits are completed at Market and can be found on updated signage outside those rooms. Other facilities are reviewing their room capacities and will post updated limits shortly.

The original capacity limits were based on 10 feet distance between each chair at the tables in the conference rooms. New limits reflect a reduction to 6 feet of distance between chairs.

Non-unisex restroom capacity was increased from 2 to 3.

DID YOU KNOW?

The CDC found mRNA COVID-19 vaccines effective in real-world conditions. Two doses of the mRNA vaccines were 94% effective among study participants at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. CDC recommends getting a COVID-19 vaccine to prevent severe COVID-19 illness. Find out more about COVID-19 vaccination data on the CDC website.

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccinations are available at:

The Dome at the America’s Center daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
John C. Murphy Health Center in Berkeley Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
South County Health Center in Sunset Hills Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
North Central Community Health Center in Pine Lawn Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Manager of Public Affairs

MSD COVID-19 Update - May 14, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT May 14, 2021, 11:56 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

The CDC issued new COVID-19 guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated. MSD leadership will review its guidelines later this month, but at this time, MSD’s guidelines have not changed. For more information, see “CDC announces new guidelines…” below.
MSD Board designated June 19 as a Special Holiday in honor of Juneteenth Day. MSD will observe Juneteenth on Friday, June 18, 2021. For more information, see “June 19 designated Special Holiday…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES DOCUMENT

There were no changes to the MSD COVID-19 guidelines this week. This document will be updated as policies change. Please review it regularly.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

CDC ANNOUNCES NEW COVID-19 GUIDELINES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED

Yesterday, the CDC announced new guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. MSD will review it’s guidelines later this month, but at this time, these new regulations do not change MSD’s current guidelines. Please continue to look to the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines for MSD’s COVID-19 measures.

The CDC considers a person fully vaccinated when they meet the following requirements:

2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose vaccine series such as Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

More information on the CDC’s new guidelines can be found on the CDC website. The CDC also shared an infographic outline safety levels of different activities based on vaccination status:

Again, these new regulations do not change MSD’s current guidelines. As we’ve stated before, public officials have a different goal than MSD. Their goal is to ensure that the virus does not spread to the point that it overwhelms the health care system, not to prevent people from becoming infected altogether. MSD’s goal is to make every effort to ensure its employees do not become infected with the COVID-19 virus so that we can continue to provide an acceptable level of our essential services. This is a much more restrictive goal than that of public officials, which is why our policies do not mirror external reopening efforts at present time.

Please continue to look to the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines for MSD’s COVID-19 measures.

JUNE 19 DESIGNATED SPECIAL HOLIDAY IN HONOR OF JUNETEENTH DAY.

At their May 13, 2021 meeting, MSD’s Board of Trustees designated June 19 a Special Holiday in honor of Juneteenth Day. MSD will observe Juneteenth on Friday, June 18, 2021. An updated 2021 MSD Holiday Schedule is attached.

DID YOU KNOW?

COVID-19 vaccines are now available to everyone age 12 and over. CDC recommends getting a COVID-19 vaccine to prevent severe COVID-19 illness. Find out more about COVID-19 vaccination data on the CDC website.

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccinations are available at:

The Dome at the America’s Center daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
St. Louis Community College at Forest Park Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
John C. Murphy Health Center in Berkeley Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
South County Health Center in Sunset Hills Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
North Central Community Health Center in Pine Lawn Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK – NEW GRAPH OF EMPLOYEE INFECTIONS

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Manager of Public Affairs

MSD COVID-19 Update - May 7, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT May 7, 2021, 12:41 p.m.

WHATS NEW?

Due to low interest among employees, MSD is no longer pursuing on-site vaccinations. MSD encourages employees to take advantage of other opportunities to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. For more information, see “MSD no longer pursuing on-site vaccinations…” below.
St. Louis City and County announced a joint plan to relax COVID-19 public health regulations. MSD’s guidelines have not changed. For more information, see “St. Louis City, County announce Reopen STL plan…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
Two employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update. For more information, see “Two employees tested positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES DOCUMENT

There were no changes to the MSD COVID-19 guidelines this week. This document will be updated as policies change. Please review it regularly.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

MSD NO LONGER PURSUING ON-SITE VACCINATIONS DUE TO LOW INTEREST

Thank you to all employees who filled out Human Resources’ voluntary survey regarding interest in receiving COVID-19 vaccines at MSD’s facilities. Due to the low level of interest in on-site vaccines among employees, as demonstrated by the survey results, MSD will no longer pursue coordinating such an event.

We continue to encourage employees to take advantage of other opportunities to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Employees may use up to but no more than four hours total of leave under the COVID sick leave timecard designation to receive the vaccine. Those hours will not be counted when considering floating holidays for 2022 or as a sick leave occurrence under the sick leave policy.

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccinations are available at the Dome at the America’s Center daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and at the St. Louis Community College at Forest Park Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

LOUIS CITY, COUNTY ANNOUNCE REOPEN STL PLAN – NO CHANGES TO MSD’S GUIDELINES

On Monday, May 3, St. Louis City and St. Louis County announced a joint “Reopen STL” plan to relax COVID-19 public health regulations.

Under the new public health order, businesses can increase capacity from the previous 50% to 100% as long as social distancing guidelines can still be met. Face masks are still required to enter any business in the city or county, but they may be removed in outdoor settings.

The full text of the order is available at stlcorona.com.

These new regulations do not change MSD’s current guidelines. As we’ve stated before, public officials have a different goal than MSD. Their goal is to ensure that the virus does not spread to the point that it overwhelms the health care system, not to prevent people from becoming infected altogether. MSD’s goal is to make every effort to ensure its employees do not become infected with the COVID-19 virus so that we can continue to provide an acceptable level of our essential services. This is a much more restrictive goal than that of public officials, which is why our policies do not mirror external reopening efforts at the present time.

Please continue to look to the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines for MSD’s COVID-19 measures.

MSD’s guidelines are currently in place through Labor Day, September 6, 2021. We are continually monitoring the situation to determine the best time to begin modifying guidelines. As always, we will revisit this plan and could extend it further if it is necessary to promote a healthy workplace.

DID YOU KNOW?

As of May 3, more than 147 million people in the United States had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Of those, more than 105 million are fully vaccinated. CDC recommends getting a COVID-19 vaccine to prevent severe COVID-19 illness. Find out more about COVID-19 vaccination data on the CDC website.

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

TWO EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 118 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

As we mentioned in a separate email, two additional employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the last weekly email. This brings the total number of employees who have tested positive to date to one hundred eighteen (118).

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Manager of Public Affairs

MSD COVID-19 Update - April 30, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT April 30, 2021, 11:42 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. Please find a graph showing employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 since March 2020 below. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.
Reminder: Human Resources requests that employees complete a voluntary survey to help facilitate planning and logistics for on-site vaccinations. For more information, see “Reminder: Human Resources survey…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES DOCUMENT

There were no changes to the MSD COVID-19 guidelines this week. This document will be updated as policies change. Please review it regularly.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK – NEW GRAPH OF EMPLOYEE INFECTIONS

REMINDER: HUMAN RESOURCES SURVEY TO HELP PLAN ON-SITE VACCINES

MSD continues to work with our partners at BJC to try to make vaccines available to MSD employees on-site. To help facilitate this process, Human Resources requests that you complete a voluntary survey here as soon as possible. Please remember this is not mandatory, but your input is helpful in the Human Resources Department’s efforts to secure vaccines.

DID YOU KNOW?

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna) reduced the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization by 94% among fully vaccinated people age 65 and over. CDC recommends getting a COVID-19 vaccine to prevent severe COVID-19 illness. Find out more about COVID-19 vaccination data on the CDC website.

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

Walk-in vaccinations are available at the Dome at the America’s Center daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., at the St. Louis Community College at Forest Park Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and at the Buzz Westfall Justice Center this Saturday, May 1, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location, you may use up to but no more than four hours total of leave under the COVID sick leave timecard designation. Those hours will not be counted when considering floating holidays for 2022 or as a sick leave occurrence under the sick leave policy.

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Manager of Public Affairs

MSD COVID-19 Update - April 23, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT April 23, 2021, 11:07 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

Human Resources requests that employees complete a voluntary survey to help facilitate planning and logistics for on-site vaccinations. For more information, see “Reminder: Human Resources survey…” below.
MSD’s quarantine requirements depend on employee’s vaccination or COVID-19 recovery status. For more information, see “Reminder: Quarantine guidelines…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
One employee tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update. For more information, see “One employee tested positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES DOCUMENT

There were no changes to the MSD COVID-19 guidelines this week. This document will be updated as policies change. Please review it regularly.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

REMINDER: HUMAN RESOURCES SURVEY TO HELP PLAN ON-SITE VACCINES

REMINDER: QUARANTINE GUIDELINES DEPEND ON VACCINATION/COVID RECOVERY STATUS

As outlined in the MSD COVID-19 Measures document, MSD’s quarantine requirements depend on employee’s vaccination and/or COVID-19 recovery status. All quarantine requirements can be found under the “Return to work guidelines” section of this document.

If an employee is asked to quarantine, those who can work from home will be required to do so. For employees who cannot work from home, MSD will review each individual case and provide work situations if at all possible for the quarantined employee to work isolated at their job site for the appropriate quarantine length. Quarantine length depends on the employee’s vaccination and/or COVID-19 recovery status.

For employees within 3 months of recovering from COVID-19 or being fully vaccinated:
- These employees may return to work if the potential source of the infection tests negative for COVID-19.
- Otherwise, the employee will be required to quarantine by working at an isolated location (such as their home or an isolated location at their job site) for 5 consecutive working days if possible.
For employees NOT within 3 months of recovering from COVID-19 or being fully vaccinated:
- These employees may return to work if the potential source of the infection tests negative for COVID-19.
- Otherwise, the employee will be required to demonstrate a negative COVID-19 test OR quarantine for a period of 10 working days from the date of potential exposure before returning to work.

The same quarantine guidelines apply to employees who have had potential exposure to COVID-19 and to employees who have participated in activities that increase their risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Employees who test positive for COVID-19 must demonstrate a negative COVID-19 test or remain symptom-free for 10 days and produce a doctor’s release before resuming work for MSD. They may NOT work from home or from an isolated workplace during this period.

As always, you can find the most recently updated MSD COVID-19 Guidelines here or on the website at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona.

DID YOU KNOW?

As of April 20, more than half of all adults age 18 and over in the United States had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Of those, more than one-third are fully vaccinated. Find out more about COVID-19 vaccination data on the CDC website.

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

ONE EMPLOYEE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 116 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Manager of Public Affairs

MSD COVID-19 Update -April 16, 2021

A regular weekly update by Bess McCoy.

EMAIL SENT April 16, 2021, 11:03 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

MSD COVID-19 guidelines document had no changes this week. Please check msdprojectclear.org/MSDCorona or the intranet site regularly. For more information, see “MSD COVID-19 guidelines document” below.
Vaccine appointments are available through St. Louis County and the State of Missouri. Recipients no longer need to wait for an invitation to schedule an appointment. For more information, see “Register for a vaccine appointment…” below.
Vaccines are available at the Dome at the America’s Center and at Forest Park Community College. For more information, see “Vaccines available at Dome…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
One employee tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update. For more information, see “One employee tested positive…” below.

Please find a list of MSD’s current COVID guidelines here. Additional information and resources are available at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. Please submit questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES DOCUMENT

There were no changes to the MSD COVID-19 guidelines this week. This document will be updated as policies change. Please review it regularly.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

REGISTER FOR A VACCINE APPOINTMENT THROUGH COUNTY, STATE OF MISSOURI

Vaccine appointments are available to all through the St. Louis County Department of Health and through the state’s vaccine navigator. You no longer need to pre-register or wait for an invitation to schedule an appointment.

Schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

VACCINES AVAILABLE AT DOME AT THE AMERICA’S CENTER, FOREST PARK COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Mass vaccination sites are open at the Dome at the America’s Center and at Forest Park Community College.

The clinic at the Dome is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. People are encouraged to register on the state’s vaccine navigator, but walk-ins are welcome. You must be at least 16 years old and a Missouri resident.

The Urban League along with the Missouri National Guard are also hosting mass vaccinations at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park. The site is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and vaccinations are available for any Missouri resident or anyone who works in the state of Missouri. People are encouraged to register on the state’s vaccine navigator, but walk-ins are welcome. More information is available on the St. Louis Community College website.

DID YOU KNOW?

As of April 12, almost 121 million people in the United States had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Of those, more than 74 million are fully vaccinated.

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

MSD encourages employees to receive a vaccine as soon as they are able. Employees can schedule a vaccine appointment using the following links:

If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location, you may use up to (but no more than) four hours total of leave under the COVID sick leave timecard designation. Those hours will not be counted when considering floating holidays for 2022 or as a sick leave occurrence under the sick leave policy.

ONE EMPLOYEE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 115 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

As we mentioned in a separate email, one employee tested positive for COVID-19 since the last weekly email. This brings the total number of employees who have tested positive to date to one hundred fifteen (115).

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Bess McCoy
Public Affairs Specialist

MSD COVID-19 Update -April 9, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT April 9, 2021, 11:19 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

MSD COVID-19 guidelines updated to reflect sick leave for vaccine side effects. Please check msdprojectclear.org/MSDCorona or intranet site regularly. For more information, see “Updates to MSD COVID-19 guidelines document” below.
New CDC travel recommendations do not change MSD’s guidelines. For more information, see “New CDC travel recommendations…” below.
Vaccines are available at the Dome at the America’s Center and Forest Park Community College. For more information, see “Vaccines available at Dome…” below.
Employees may use up to four hours of COVID Sick Leave for recovery from vaccine side effects in addition to the four hours available for receiving vaccinations. For more information, see “Employees may use 4 hours of COVID sick leave…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

UPDATES TO MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES DOCUMENT

In our continuing effort to promote a healthy and safe work environment, MSD has consolidated its COVID-19 health and safety guidelines into a single document. As this is a fluid situation, this is a working document that will be updated as MSD’s policies and guidelines change.

Since last week, the guidelines were updated to reflect the following changes:

The “COVID-19 sick leave” section was updated to reflect that employees who receive the COVID-19 vaccine may use up to four hours of COVID-19 sick leave for recovery from vaccine side effects.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

NEW CDC TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS DO NOT CHANGE MSD’S GUIDELINES

Last week, the CDC released new recommendations regarding domestic travel for people who are fully immunized. These new recommendations do not change MSD’s current guidelines for travel or any other COVID-related measures.

As we’ve stated before, public officials have a different goal than MSD. Their goal is to ensure that the virus does not spread to the point that it overwhelms the health care system, not to prevent people from becoming infected altogether. MSD’s goal is to make every effort to ensure its employees do not become infected with the COVID-19 virus so that we can continue to provide an acceptable level of our essential services. This is a much more restrictive goal than that of public officials, which is why our policies do not mirror external reopening efforts.

Please continue to look to the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines for MSD’s COVID-19 measures.

VACCINES AVAILABLE AT DOME AT THE AMERICA’S CENTER, FOREST PARK COMMUNITY COLLEGE

On Wednesday, April 7, a mass vaccination site run by FEMA opened at the Dome at the America’s Center downtown.

This eight-week program will run daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. While FEMA recommends people register in advance through the state’s Vaccine Navigator, due to low turnout, they are also accepting walk-ins.

The Pfizer vaccine will be used for the first six weeks so that people can get their first and second doses. Then the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be used for the last two weeks.

The Urban League along with the Missouri National Guard are also hosting mass vaccinations at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park. Vaccines are available through June on Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eligible recipients can register through the state’s Vaccine Navigator, however, they are accepting walk-ins as supplies are available. The Community College recommends vaccine recipients enter the campus from Macklind Ave.

EMPLOYEES MAY USE 4 HOURS OF COVID SICK FOR VACCINE RECOVERY

In addition to the four hours of COVID Sick Leave available to employees to receive COVID-19 vaccines, employees may also use up to four hours of COVID Sick Leave for recovery from temporary side effects due to the vaccine.

COVID Sick Leave may be used for the following reasons:

Quarantine due to potential COVID exposure
Recovery from a COVID infection
Time off work to receive the COVID vaccine (maximum of 4 hours)
Time off work to recover from temporary symptoms caused by the COVID vaccine (maximum of 4 hours)

If an employee needs more time to receive COVID vaccines or to recover from vaccine side effects, they will need to use time from their entitlement balances listed in absence management.

DID YOU KNOW?

MRNA vaccines, such as the COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna, cannot give you COVID-19 and do not affect or interact with your DNA in any way. Find out more about how mRNA vaccines work on the CDC website.

Are you ready to get vaccinated? We know that as vaccines become available, many employees are weighing the decision on whether to get vaccinated. We have gathered several resources to help you make an informed decision:

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

MSD encourages employees to receive a vaccine as soon as they are able. Employees can register to receive the vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location via these links:

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - April 2, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT April 2, 2021, 10:51 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

MSD COVID-19 guidelines updated to reflect temperature check changes. Please check msdprojectclear.org/MSDCorona or intranet site regularly. For more information, see “Updates to MSD COVID-19 guidelines document” below.
Register to receive the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at South City Hospital between April 7 and April 9. For more information, see “Reminder – Register to receive the first dose…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
One employee tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update. For more information, see “One employee tested positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

UPDATES TO MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES DOCUMENT

Since last week, the guidelines were updated to reflect the following changes:

The “Temperature checks” section was removed as MSD is discontinuing temperature checks at its facilities. See “Reminder – MSD discontinuing temperature checks” below for more information.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

REMINDER – MSD DISCONTINUING TEMPERATURE CHECKS

As we mentioned last week, MSD’s leadership has decided to discontinue temperature checks at its facilities after reduced transmission of COVID-19 within the community and among MSD employees. Beginning next Monday, April 1, MSD will no longer conduct temperature screening at its facilities.

MSD is able to discontinue this practice because you all are doing your part to slow the spread of COVID-19 by:

Maintaining six feet of distance
Wearing a mask
Practicing good hygiene
Staying home if you are sick

We encourage all employees to continue the above practices, including self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms. Employees who are sick should stay home.

REMINDER – REGISTER TO RECEIVE THE FIRST DOSE OF THE PFIZER VACCINE AT SOUTH CITY HOSPITAL

As Tracey mentioned in her email on Tuesday, March 23, South City Hospital is willing to distribute the FIRST Pfizer vaccine to 300 MSD Employees between April 7 and April 9.

Employees must register in advance by completing the registration survey.

**You will be required to log into your MSD email account before filling out the survey. The “log in” is your network user name and password. The survey will close after 300 responses are received.**

Please review Tracey’s email from March 23 for additional information.

DID YOU KNOW?

The CDC has a surveillance system that monitors COVID-19 outcomes by age, race and ethnicity, sex, and underlying health conditions. Explore trends in COVID-19-associated hospitalizations through interactive dashboards on CDC’s COVID Data Tracker.

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

MSD encourages employees to receive a vaccine as soon as they are able. Employees can register to receive the vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location via these links:

ONE EMPLOYEE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 114 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - March 26, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT March 26, 2021, 11:02 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

MSD COVID-19 guidelines document had no changes this week. Please check msdprojectclear.org/MSDCorona or the intranet site regularly. For more information, see “MSD COVID-19 guidelines document” below.
MSD will discontinue temperature checks beginning Monday, April 5. This measure is supported by similar measures taken within the community under the Department of Public Health guidance. Employees are encouraged to continue self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms. For more information, see “MSD to discontinue temperature checks…” below.
Register to receive the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at South City Hospital between April 7 and April 9. For more information, see “Register to receive the first dose…” below.
Employee Town Halls with CEO Brian Hoelscher will end next week. The meetings, which are hosted on Teams, feature information about ‘ ‘MSD’s April 6 Prop Y ballot initiative with an opportunity for questions and answers. For more information, see “Employee Town Halls with CEO…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES DOCUMENT

There were no changes to the MSD COVID-19 guidelines this week. This document will be updated as policies change. Please review it regularly.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

MSD TO DISCONTINUE TEMPERATURE CHECKS BEGINNING MONDAY, APRIL 5

MSD’s leadership has decided to discontinue temperature checks at its facilities after reduced transmission of COVID-19 within the community and among MSD employees. Beginning Monday, April 5, MSD will no longer conduct temperature screening at its facilities.

This reduction is supported by similar measures taken within the community under the Department of Public Health guidance as well as the CDC, which lists temperature screening as an optional strategy.

To date, the temperature checks have not screened out any COVID-19 positive employees. MSD’s other practices, such as mask-wearing, distancing, increased disinfecting, reduced workplace density, and staggering start times, have proved more effective at reducing the possible spread of COVID-19 at work.

MSD is able to discontinue this practice because you all are doing your part to slow the spread of COVID-19 by:

Maintaining six feet of distance
Wearing a mask
Practicing good hygiene
Staying home if you are sick

We encourage all employees to continue the above practices, including self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms. Employees who are sick should stay home.

REGISTER TO RECEIVE THE FIRST DOSE OF THE PFIZER VACCINE AT SOUTH CITY HOSPITAL

As Tracey mentioned in her email on Tuesday, March 23, South City Hospital is willing to distribute the FIRST Pfizer vaccine to 300 MSD Employees between April 7 and April 9.

Employees must register in advance by completing the registration survey.

Please review Tracey’s email from March 23 for additional information.

Some employees may be able to acquire vaccines more quickly from other providers. Employees can register for other vaccine opportunities via these links:

As a reminder, employees may use up to but no more than four hours total of COVID sick leave on their timecards for vaccination purposes. Employees may allocate these hours between shots or use all four hours on a single shot.

COVID-19 sick leave hours will not be counted when considering floating holidays for 2022 or as a sick leave occurrence under the sick leave policy.

EMPLOYEE TOWN HALLS WITH CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER END NEXT WEEK

As he did last Fall, CEO Brian Hoelscher is once again hosting employee town halls this spring. Spring Town Halls will end next Wednesday, March 31.

The meetings, which are hosted on Teams, feature information about MSD’s April 6 Prop Y ballot initiative and an opportunity for employees to ask questions about Prop Y or any other subject.

Town Hall times and registration information can be found on the Learning District. After logging in, select Menu > Learning and Metrics > Course Catalog. Then search for “Employee Town Halls” and click “details.”

DID YOU KNOW?

You should still get a COVID-19 vaccine even if you’ve already had COVID-19. Experts don’t know how long you are protected from COVID-19 after you recover. Find more vaccine facts on the CDC website.

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

MSD encourages employees to receive a vaccine as soon as they are able. Employees can register to receive the vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location via these links:

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - March 26, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT March 26, 2021, 11:02 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

MSD COVID-19 guidelines document had no changes this week. Please check msdprojectclear.org/MSDCorona or the intranet site regularly. For more information, see “MSD COVID-19 guidelines document” below.
MSD will discontinue temperature checks beginning Monday, April 5. This measure is supported by similar measures taken within the community under the Department of Public Health guidance. Employees are encouraged to continue self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms. For more information, see “MSD to discontinue temperature checks…” below.
Register to receive the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at South City Hospital between April 7 and April 9. For more information, see “Register to receive the first dose…” below.
Employee Town Halls with CEO Brian Hoelscher will end next week. The meetings, which are hosted on Teams, feature information about ‘ ‘MSD’s April 6 Prop Y ballot initiative with an opportunity for questions and answers. For more information, see “Employee Town Halls with CEO…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES DOCUMENT

There were no changes to the MSD COVID-19 guidelines this week. This document will be updated as policies change. Please review it regularly.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

MSD TO DISCONTINUE TEMPERATURE CHECKS BEGINNING MONDAY, APRIL 5

MSD is able to discontinue this practice because you all are doing your part to slow the spread of COVID-19 by:

Maintaining six feet of distance
Wearing a mask
Practicing good hygiene
Staying home if you are sick

We encourage all employees to continue the above practices, including self-monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms. Employees who are sick should stay home.

REGISTER TO RECEIVE THE FIRST DOSE OF THE PFIZER VACCINE AT SOUTH CITY HOSPITAL

As Tracey mentioned in her email on Tuesday, March 23, South City Hospital is willing to distribute the FIRST Pfizer vaccine to 300 MSD Employees between April 7 and April 9.

Employees must register in advance by completing the registration survey.

Please review Tracey’s email from March 23 for additional information.

Some employees may be able to acquire vaccines more quickly from other providers. Employees can register for other vaccine opportunities via these links:

COVID-19 sick leave hours will not be counted when considering floating holidays for 2022 or as a sick leave occurrence under the sick leave policy.

EMPLOYEE TOWN HALLS WITH CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER END NEXT WEEK

As he did last Fall, CEO Brian Hoelscher is once again hosting employee town halls this spring. Spring Town Halls will end next Wednesday, March 31.

The meetings, which are hosted on Teams, feature information about MSD’s April 6 Prop Y ballot initiative and an opportunity for employees to ask questions about Prop Y or any other subject.

DID YOU KNOW?

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

MSD encourages employees to receive a vaccine as soon as they are able. Employees can register to receive the vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location via these links:

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - March 19, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT March 19, 2021, 12:45 p.m.

WHATS NEW?

MSD COVID-19 guidelines updated to reflect changes to return to work after risky behavior, voluntary travel, or potential exposure. Please check msdprojectclear.org/MSDCorona or intranet site regularly. For more information, see “Updates to MSD COVID-19 guidelines document” below.
BJC’s vaccine inventory remains low, and they do not have an estimated timeline for making vaccines available on-site. Employees are encouraged to continue to look for vaccine opportunities from non-MSD locations. For more information, see “Vaccine update from BJC…” below.
CEO Brian Hoelscher will once again host employee town halls this spring. The meetings, which will be hosted on Teams, will feature information about ‘ ‘MSD’s April 6 Prop Y ballot initiative with an opportunity for questions and answers. For more information, see “CEO Brian Hoelscher to host employee town halls…” below.
While MDNR has detected new variants of COVID-19 at MSD treatment plants, employees are reminded that proper hygiene is effective at preventing the transmission of COVID-19 or other pathogens in wastewater. For more information, see “MDNR continues to test wastewater…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
One employee tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update. For more information, see “One employee tested positive…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

UPDATES TO MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES DOCUMENT

Since last week, the guidelines were updated to reflect the following changes:

The “Return to work after risky activity or requesting time off for a vacation” section was updated to indicate that employees who are unable to meet the safe travel guidelines will be required to follow the same quarantine guidelines as listed under the “return to work after potential exposure to COVID-19” section. Previous guidelines listed separate quarantine guidelines for voluntary travel or risky activities.
The “Return to work after potential exposure to COVID-19” section was updated to indicate that employees who may have been exposed to COVID-19 must demonstrate a negative COVID-19 test or quarantine for the appropriate number of days unless the potential source of the infection tests negative. Previous guidelines listed requirements if the potential source of infection tested positive but did not account for situations in which the source does not get tested, or it is unknown if they tested positive.

Click here to download the MSD COVID-19 Guidelines.

VACCINE UPDATE FROM BJC – INVENTORY REMAINS LOW, NO TIMELINE FOR ON-SITE DISTRIBUTION

In our continuing effort to partner with BJC to make vaccines available on-site, we received the following update from BJC:

“ pre-registration site allows people to self-identify as 1B3, but we do not expect to begin to invite anyone in 1B3 until we get thru 1B2. We still have 1A and 1B1 people who we are inviting. There are currently 382,000 unique individuals in the pre-registry and have invited 64,000 of them to be vaccinated. We are not expecting our vaccine supply to be increasing significantly. It appears most of the additional vaccine coming to the region is going to the MO National Guard events and to the local health departments.”

At this time, BJC is unable to give an estimated timeline for when they might be able to make COVID-19 vaccines available to MSD employees on-site. Employees can sign-up for a vaccine through BJC’s pre-registration website; however, BJC cautions that it may take some time before they work through the backlog of people in higher tiers.

Some employees may be able to acquire vaccines more quickly from other providers. Employees can register to receive the vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location via these links:

COVID-19 sick leave hours will not be counted when considering floating holidays for 2022 or as a sick leave occurrence under the sick leave policy.

CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER HOSTING EMPLOYEE TOWN HALLS THIS SPRING

As he did last Fall, CEO Brian Hoelscher is once again hosting employee town halls this spring. The meetings, which are hosted on Teams, feature information about ‘ ‘MSD’s April 6 Prop Y ballot initiative and an opportunity for employees to ask questions about Prop Y or any other subject.

MDNR CONTINUES TO TEST WASTEWATER TO TRACK COVID SPREAD

As a reminder, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services continues to test wastewater across the state to track the spread of COVI-19. These types of studies are taking place throughout the country and have proven to be a good advanced marker for changes in infection rates and numbers.

Recent news stories have reported that the UK-variant of COVID-19 has been detected in various plants throughout the District.

As we have previously communicated, from day one it has been shown that the hygiene practices required to work around wastewater are equally effective in preventing transmission of the Coronavirus. For those employees who work near wastewater, remember that there are much more dangerous things in the wastewater than Coronavirus, and thus, you should be diligent at all times in practicing proper hygiene.

DID YOU KNOW?

As of March 12, more than 100 million #COVID19 vaccine doses have been administered across the United States, with over 64% of people 65 or older receiving at least one dose. Track vaccination progress, including by vaccine type, on the CDC website.

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

MSD encourages employees to receive a vaccine as soon as they are able. Employees can register to receive the vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location via these links:

ONE EMPLOYEE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 113 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - March 12, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT March 12, 2021, 11:48 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

MSD has consolidated its major guidelines into a single document. As this is a fluid situation, this is a working document that will be updated as ‘ ‘MSD’s guidelines change. Please check msdprojectclear.org/MSDCorona or intranet site regularly. For more information, see “MSD COVID-19 guidelines document” below.
CEO Brian Hoelscher will once again host employee town halls this spring. The meetings, which will be hosted on Teams, will feature information about ‘ ‘MSD’s April 6 Prop Y ballot initiative with an opportunity for questions and answers. For more information, see “CEO Brian Hoelscher to host employee town halls…” below.
Employees may use up to but no more than four hours total of COVID sick leave on their timecards for vaccination purposes. Employees may allocate these hours between shots or use all four hours on a single shot. For more information, see “Employees may use up to but no more than four hours…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSD COVID-19 GUIDELINES DOCUMENT

CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER TO HOST EMPLOYEE TOWN HALLS THIS SPRING

As he did last Fall, CEO Brian Hoelscher will once again host employee town halls this spring. The meetings, which will be hosted on Teams, will feature information about ‘ ‘MSD’s April 6 Prop Y ballot initiative. After a brief presentation, Brian will take questions from employees on Prop Y or any other subject.

EMPLOYEES MAY USE UP TO BUT NO MORE THAN FOUR HOURS OF COVID LEAVE TO RECEIVE VACCINES

While MSD continues to work with its partners at BJC to make COVID-19 vaccines available on-site, some employees may be able to acquire vaccines more quickly from non-MSD locations.

COVID-19 sick leave hours will not be counted when considering floating holidays for 2022 or as a sick leave occurrence under the sick leave policy.

DID YOU KNOW?

Millions of people in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines, and these vaccines have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. This monitoring includes using both established and new safety monitoring systems to make sure that COVID-19 vaccines are safe. These vaccines cannot give you COVID-19. Learn more facts about COVID-19 vaccines.

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

MSD encourages employees to receive a vaccine as soon as they are able. Employees can register to receive the vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location via these links:

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - March 5, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT March 5, 2021, 12:23 p.m.

WHATS NEW?

COVID-19 vaccines are available to MSD employees older than 59 at South City Hospital. For more information, see “COVID-19 vaccines available…” below.
MSD’s return to work guidelines after personal travel remain in place. The only change is the recently added reduced quarantine length for employees who are within three months of completing COVID-19 vaccination or recovering from the virus. For more information, see “Personal travel guidelines remain in place,” below.
CEO Brian Hoelscher will once again host employee town halls this spring. The meetings, which will be hosted on Teams, will feature information about MSD’s April 6 Prop Y ballot initiative with an opportunity for questions and answers. For more information, see “CEO Brian Hoelscher to host employee town halls…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
Three employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update. For more information, see “One employee tested positive…” below.

Additional information and resources are available at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. Please submit questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

—–

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 VACCINES AVAILABLE TO MSD EMPLOYEES OLDER THAN 59

As Tracey Coleman mentioned in an email earlier this week, South City Hospital is willing to distribute the Pfizer Vaccine to MSD Employees who are older than 59 years of age.

To receive the vaccine employees must arrive to:

South City Hospital (formally called St. Alexius Hospital) – Enter Building from the main entrance on Broadway

3933 S Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63118

http://www.stalexiushospital.com/new/

Between the listed hours:

8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

What should you bring?

A mask must be worn when entering the hospital.
Only a photo ID is needed.

There is no cost to receive the vaccine. Up to four hours of COVID sick leave is available for employees who are taking the vaccine.

PERSONAL TRAVEL GUIDELINES REMAIN IN PLACE

This past week, we received several questions about return to work after personal travel. MSD’s guidelines for returning to work after personal travel can be found in the COVID-19 Guideance for Managers we shared last December.

The only change to this document since then is the revised guidelines for employees who are within a three-month window of having recovered from COVID-19 or being fully immunized:

For those individuals who can demonstrate that they are within the three-month window as described above, there will be a quarantine period of five working days from date of potential exposure. For those individuals who can work from home, that will be the form of quarantine. For those individuals who cannot work from home, MSD will review each individual case and provide work situations if at all possible for the quarantined individual to work isolated at the jobsite for five working days.
For those individuals who do not wish to demonstrate that they have recovered or have been fully vaccinated, regular quarantine rules will apply.

CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER TO HOST EMPLOYEE TOWN HALLS THIS SPRING

As he did last Fall, CEO Brian Hoelscher will once again host employee town halls this spring. The meetings, which will be hosted on Teams, will feature information about MSD’s April 6 Prop Y ballot initiative. After a brief presentation, Brian will take questions from employees on Prop Y or any other subject.

Employees will be able to register for these meetings through the Learning District. Registration information will follow shortly.

DID YOU KNOW?

The COVID-19 vaccines are FREE, and no one should pay more than a copay from their provider.

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

MSD encourages employees to receive a vaccine as soon as they are able. Employees can register to receive the vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location via these links:

If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location, you may use up to four hours of leave under the COVID sick leave timecard designation. Those hours will not be counted when considering Floating Holidays for 2022 or as a sick leave occurrence under the sick leave policy.

THREE EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 112 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

As always, please find the most up-to-date information on the website at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. There you will find the most recently updated FAQ document, all COVID-19 emails, and a list of printable resources. If you have additional questions, please send them to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - February 26, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT February 26, 2021, 1:10 p.m.

WHATS NEW?

Missouri will shift to Phase 1B Tier 3 of the vaccination plan on March 15. This phase includes wastewater workers. MSD continues to coordinate with BJC to make vaccines available on-site, but employees are encouraged to receive a vaccine as soon as they are able. For more information, see “Governor Parson announces Missouri will shift…” below.
Outside travel, meeting, and activity restrictions extended through September 6, 2021. These restrictions could be extended further. For more information, see “Outside travel, meeting, and activity restrictions extended…” below.
An employee who participated in the Moderna vaccine trial shares her experience. For more information, see “Q&A with Crystal Howard…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
Two employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update. For more information, see “One employee tested positive…” below.

Additional information and resources are available at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. Please submit questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

GOVERNOR PARSON ANNOUNCES MISSOURI WILL SHIFT TO PHASE 1B TIER 3 OF THE VACCINATION PLAN ON MARCH 15

Yesterday, Governor Mike Parson announced that Missouri will open COVID-19 vaccinations to those in Phase 1B Tier 3, which includes wastewater workers, beginning Monday, March 15.

MSD continues to coordinate with our partners at BJC to offer COVID-19 vaccines to employees on-site. We will send separate registration information when BJC is ready to administer the vaccine on-site, and the process will resemble last year’s biometric screening registrations.

MSD encourages employees to receive a vaccine as soon as they are able. Employees can register to receive the vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location via these links:

OUTSIDE TRAVEL, MEETING, AND ACTIVITY RESTRICTIONS EXTENDED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 6, 2021

As part of our continuing effort to promote the health and safety of all MSD employees, senior leadership has decided to extend limits on outside travel, outside meetings, activities, and on-site meetings with external entities through Labor Day, September 6, 2021.

We are continually monitoring the situation to determine the best time to begin removing these modifications. As always, we will revisit this plan and could extend it further if it is necessary to promote a healthy workplace.

Q&A WITH CRYSTAL HOWARD, MODERNA VACCINE TRIAL VOLUNTEER

Public Affairs Specialist Crystal Howard, who is a participant in the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trial, sat down for a brief Q&A to share her experience with MSD employees.

Q: When did you begin participating in the trial?

A: I began participating in the trial last September. After completing a full health questionnaire, giving several blood samples, and taking a COVID-19 test to confirm I didn’t currently or hadn’t previously had the virus, I received my first shot. I came back four weeks later to receive the second shot.

Q: Did you have any side-effects after receiving the shots?

A: I didn’t have any reaction to the first shot, not even a sore arm, so I thought maybe I didn’t get the REAL vaccine.

The second shot confirmed (in my mind) that I DID receive the vaccine. While I had no immediate reaction, the next day, I had a sore arm at the injection site, a low-grade fever (100 – 101), and slight chills. This lasted only about 24 hours. Everyone is different, but clearly saline does not produce that kind of reaction—so I knew. Later in the study, they confirmed I DID receive the mRNA vaccine, and I have a card that proves I am fully vaccinated.

What comes next in the trial?
The study continues for two years with periodic visits to monitor my blood work, COVID-19 testing, and if I have been exposed to the virus or my antibodies start to drop. I also complete a weekly e-diary to report any potential exposure to the virus or new health issues. There are wellness phone calls once a month to cover the same items mentioned in the e-diary. If Moderna develops any new boosters to fight new strains, I will receive those too.

Q: Why did you decide to volunteer?

A: I knew they probably would not have many African American females “of a certain age” volunteer for the study. I am in good health, so I wanted to volunteer to help ensure there were no unknown effects for people of my race, gender, age, etc.

Q: What advice do you have for people considering receiving the vaccine?

A: I would recommend that everyone receive the vaccine as soon as they can. You might want to plan to take it easy the next day after your second dose (with Moderna). A mild reaction is normal. That’s just your body learning how to fight the virus. It’s a minor inconvenience compared to having COVID-19.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me. I am happy to discuss my experience. I have not had ANY additional side effects from the vaccine received in October. Without any hesitation, I would do it again!

DID YOU KNOW?

COVID-19 vaccines CANNOT make you sick with COVID-19. None of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines or vaccines currently in development in the United States contain the live virus that causes COVID-19. According to the CDC, this means that a COVID-19 vaccine cannot make you sick with COVID-19. Learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work here.

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

TWO EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 109 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - February 19, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT February 19, 2021, 11:41 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

An update from Brian McGownd on cold weather protocols. The Operations Department successfully implemented their COVID-19 inclement weather protocol for all yard employees. For more information, see “An update from Brian McCownd…” below.
Check your eligibility to receive the vaccine from a non-MSD location. Many employees may be eligible to receive the vaccine before it is available on-site. For more information, see “Check your vaccine eligibility…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Additional information and resources are available at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. Please submit questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

AN UPDATE FROM BRIAN MCGOWND, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, ON COLD WEATHER PROTOCOLS

This past week, Operations successfully implemented their COVID-19 inclement weather protocol for all yard employees. This protocol takes effect whenever the forecasted temperature will not reach 15 degrees for the majority of the day. To meet social distancing requirements, a limited number of employees remained at work while other field staff was released early. Employees who remained at work completed training courses and were available to respond to emergencies. MSD will continue to use this protocol as needed to promote a healthy work environment and will rotate employees with each weather event.

CHECK YOUR VACCINE ELIGIBILITY AND PRE-REGISTER TO RECEIVE THE VACCINE FROM A NON-MSD LOCATION

While MSD continues to coordinate with our partners at BJC to offer COVID-19 vaccines to employees on-site, many employees may be eligible to receive the vaccine early.

To check your eligibility, visit www.covidvaccine.mo.gov.

If you are in 1B2 group, BJC invites you to register to receive the vaccine via their website.

The state of Missouri is also accepting pre-registrations for its phased vaccine roll-out. Employees can register to receive the vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location via these links:

DID YOU KNOW?

Just as with other vaccines, the COVID-19 vaccines can cause temporary effects soon after they enter the body and start teaching the immune system to fight the coronavirus. Among vaccine recipients during the Moderna clinical trials, 16.5% reported side effects such as fever, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches and pains. Side effects like these often indicate a person’s immune system is responding appropriately to the vaccine.

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - February 12, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT February 12, 2021, 12:12 p.m.

WHATS NEW?

A message from Tracey Coleman about COVID-19 vaccines. For more information, see “A message from Tracey Coleman…” below.
A message from CEO Brian Hoelscher about updated quarantine requirements. For more information, see “A message from CEO Brian Hoelscher…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
One employee tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update. For more information, see “One employee tested positive…” below.

Additional information and resources are available at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. Please submit questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A MESSAGE FROM TRACEY COLEMAN, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES, ON COVID-19 VACCINES

Employees,

I would like to thank all of you for participating in the COVID-19 Vaccine Survey.

The vaccine is a key opportunity for us to work together to protect ourselves and to serve our customers, and I am pleased to report that approximately two-thirds of employees are interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. We are currently doing everything we can to prepare for an efficient and effective vaccine distribution as soon as it is available, and the information you all provided will prove invaluable to those efforts.

As a reminder, the survey was not a sign-up form to receive the vaccine. We will send separate registration information when BJC is ready to administer the vaccine on-site, and the process will resemble last year’s biometric screening registrations. Please look to future communications for information about vaccine pre-registration.

Vaccine supply is limited, and our partners at BJC are anticipating mid-March or later for distribution of the vaccine at MSD locations. Some of you may qualify to receive the vaccine earlier through other classifications. If you are eligible to receive the vaccine, please do so as soon as you are able. To check your eligibility, visit www.covidvaccine.mo.gov.

If you are in 1B2 group, BJC invites you to register to receive the vaccine via their website.

MSD’s pre-registration with St. Louis County was recently approved, and MSD employees (1B Tier 3) are welcomed to pre-register for the vaccine. The state of Missouri is also accepting pre-registrations for its phased vaccine roll-out. Employees can register to receive the vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location via these links:

If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine at a non-MSD distribution location, you may use the COVID sick leave timecard designation. Up to four hours of this leave can be used to receive the vaccine from a non-MSD distribution location. Those hours will not be counted when considering Floating Holidays for 2022 or as a sick leave occurrence under the sick leave policy.

Thank you again for your cooperation and for your continual efforts to protect yourself and your coworkers.

Tracey Coleman
Director of Human Resources

A MESSAGE FROM CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER ON UPDATED QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS

Staff,

I wanted to bring you up to speed on the latest information regarding the coronavirus and MSD’s response to that information. First, let’s summate what we know.

Under current CDC guidance, individuals who have recovered from an infection or who have been fully vaccinated:

do not have to quarantine if possible exposure to the virus occurred within three months after recovering from a coronavirus infection or having been fully vaccinated.
are still to wear masks, social distance, and avoid crowded indoor settings. The CDC is silent on any recommended action for these individuals who do not abide by these guidelines.

There are also no findings that confirm that anyone who has had the coronavirus or who has been vaccinated cannot still get infected or transmit the infection to others.

With this information, MSD will revise our quarantine requirement for those individuals who are exposed to the coronavirus within three months of recovery or full immunization–

For those individuals who can demonstrate that they are within the 3-month window as described above, there will be a quarantine period of 5 working days from date of potential exposure. For those individuals who can work from home, that will be the form of quarantine. For those individuals who cannot work from home, MSD will review each individual case and provide work situations if at all possible for the quarantined individual to work isolated at the jobsite for 5 working days.
For those individuals who do not wish to demonstrate that they have recovered or have been fully vaccinated, regular quarantine rules will apply.

MSD has been successful so far because of our employees. Please note that CDC guidance has not relaxed the safety measures for anyone who has recovered from the coronavirus or has been fully vaccinated. The only change is in the quarantine rules for those who have. Please continue to follow all recommendations to keep your fellow employees safe.

Brian Hoelscher
Executive Director & CEO

DID YOU KNOW?

Trials showed the Pfizer Vaccine was 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 and the Moderna vaccine was 94% effective. There were no serious safety concerns reported with either.

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

ONE EMPLOYEE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 107 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - February 5, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT February 5, 2021, 11:39 a.m.

WHATS NEW?

A message from CEO Brian Hoelscher with information on COVID-19 vaccines. For more information, see “A message from CEO Brian Hoelscher” below.
MSD will scale back temperature taking measures beginning next week as supported by similar measures taken within the community under the Department of Public Health guidance. For more information, see “New temperature check guidelines” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Did you know?” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Additional information and resources are available at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. Please submit questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A MESSAGE FROM CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER

Employees,

While we continue to monitor new developments in the COVID-19 response, I would like to update you all on two ways we can all work together to promote a healthy work environment and ensure continued service to our customers.

Protect Yourself –

MSD encourages all employees to get a vaccine as soon as you are eligible under any of the current classifications.

This is a good opportunity to protect yourself from COVID symptoms or hospitalizations.
There is a limited supply of the vaccine. While BJC has not offered us a timeline, we do not anticipate we’ll be able to provide vaccines to employees until April or later. Don’t wait.
Even if you have already tested positive for the coronavirus, get a vaccine. Natural immunity appears to be temporary and does not appear to provide as much if any protection as a vaccine against some of the new variants.
The most that anyone should pay for a vaccine would be a co-pay to the group administering the vaccine.

We will continue to work with our health care partners to make the vaccine available to employees and will update you as we learn more.

Protect your fellow employees –

For the time being, MSD employees are expected to continue taking steps to prevent transmission of the coronavirus in the workplace. While nearly two-thirds of employees have indicated they are interested in getting the vaccine when it’s available, there is no evidence that the vaccine or natural immunity will prevent you from transmitting the virus to others. As such, we will continue to require all employees to:

wear masks
social distance
practice appropriate hygiene
maintain your staggered start/work from home schedules
avoid any potentially compromising situations unless you quarantine.

Infection rates have been decreasing at MSD, similar to what is being seen in the County and the City. We can all contribute to helping that trend continue.

As I’ve stated before, our goal is to promote a healthy and safe work environment so we can continue to provide our customers with a vital service. While the leadership team and I continue to monitor new developments and set policies that help us achieve that goal, we can’t do it alone. We all play a role in promoting the health of our coworkers and community. Thank you for doing your part.

Brian Hoelscher
Executive Director & CEO

NEW TEMPERATURE CHECK GUIDELINES

As Tracey Coleman, Director of Human Resources, mentioned in an email earlier this week, MSD’s leadership decided to scale back temperature checks after reduced transmission of COVID-19 within the community and among MSD employees.

Effective next Monday, February 8, temperatures will be taken:

Monday and Tuesday at all remote locations
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at the Market Street location
The time window for taking temperatures will remain the same at all locations

The reduction in days is supported by similar measures taken within the community under the Department of Public Health guidance. It is possible because you all are doing your part to slow the spread of COVID-19 by:

Maintaining six feet of distance
Wearing a mask
Practicing good hygiene
Staying home if you are sick

This change will be sustained if available data regarding case transmission and new community cases continues to decline.

DID YOU KNOW?

To date, the vaccines approved by the FDA have been tested on tens of thousands of people and have passed safety requirements through three phases of trials.

Understanding COVID-19 Vaccines (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information Podcast (Cigna)
COVID-19 Vaccine Information (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs (Missouri Department of Health and Human Services)

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - January 29, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT January 29, 2021, 1:27 p.m.

WHATS NEW?

The mandatory survey on COVID-19 is due next Monday, February 1. All employees are required to complete this survey whether they plan to receive the vaccine through MSD or not. For more information, see “Mandatory survey on COVID-19 vaccine…” below.
High-risk employees should contact their healthcare provider to coordinate receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines may be available to them before it is available at MSD. For more information, see “Employees in high-risk categories…” below.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine to help you make an informed decision about whether to get vaccinated. For more information, see “Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine” below.
St. Louis County is establishing its first mass vaccination site in Ferguson. Residents must pre-register to receive a vaccine. The County is working to establish additional centers. For more information, see “St. Louis County establishing first mass vaccination site” below.
Three employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update. For more information, see “Two employees tested positive…” below.

Additional information and resources are available at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. Please submit questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

—–

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MANDATORY SURVEY ON COVID-19 VACCINE DUE NEXT MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1

As Tracey Coleman, Director of Human Resources, mentioned in an email to all employees, MSD is making early preparations to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to active employees. To help manage that process, all employees are REQUIRED to complete the MSD Vaccine Survey by Monday, February 1. This survey will provide MSD’s leadership with information that will help them ensure the vaccine is distributed efficiently and effectively when it becomes available.

Please note that an affirmative survey response is NOT considered an official registration to get the vaccine. If an employee qualifies to receive the vaccine due to high-risk category, MSD strongly encourages these employees to get the vaccine from their chosen medical provider as soon as it is available to them.

EMPLOYEES IN HIGH-RISK CATEGORIES ENCOURAGED TO RECEIVE COVID-19 VACCINE AS SOON AS IT IS AVAILABLE TO THEM

Employees who fall into a high-risk category may be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine through their healthcare provider before it becomes available for distribution at MSD facilities. MSD encourages employees who fall into one of these categories to contact their healthcare provider to coordinate receiving the vaccine as soon as possible; do not wait until the vaccine is available at MSD.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE COVID-19 VACCINE

MSD’s insurance provider, Cigna, has shared a pamphlet with information about vaccine availability, the phased rollout, vaccine costs, and what you can do now. They also shared COVID Vaccine Information Podcast.

Further, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has created a website with information on COVID-19 vaccines. Find out more at www.mostopscovid.com. If you have a specific question about the COVID-19 vaccine, you can also browse through dozens of FAQs at www.mostopscovid.com/facts.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY ESTABLISHING FIRST MASS VACCINATION SITE

St. Louis County announced earlier this week that their first mass vaccination site will be at the Florissant Valley campus of St. Louis Community College in Ferguson.

Per the County’s announcement, “once supply is available, vaccines will be administered by appointment according to the DPH pre-registration list.”

Residents can pre-register for vaccines at www.stlcorona.com, by emailing dphcovidvaccine@stlouisco.com, or by calling 314-615-2660.

St. Louis County is working to establish additional vaccine centers throughout the County. Find additional information in their announcement here.

THREE EMPLOYEE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 106 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - January 22, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT January 22, 2021, 12:03 p.m.

WHATS NEW?

Reminder to view the video message from CEO Brian Hoelscher on COVID-19 vaccine. For more information, see “Video message from CEO…” below.
Complete the MANDATORY survey on COVID-19 by Monday, February 1. All employees are required to complete this survey whether they plan to receive the vaccine through MSD or not. For more information, see “Mandatory survey on COVID-19 survey…” below.
Two employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update. For more information, see “Two employees tested positive…” below.

Additional information and resources are available at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. Please submit questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

VIDEO MESSAGE FROM CEO BRIAN HOELSCHER ON COVID-19 VACCINE

As I mentioned in an email earlier this week, Brian Hoelscher shared a video update on the COVID-19 vaccine. If you have not already done so, please view his message here.

MANDATORY SURVEY ON COVID-19 VACCINE DUE MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1

TWO EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 103 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - January 15, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT January 15, 2021, 12:02 p.m.

WHATS NEW?

Complete the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine survey by Monday, February 1. For more information, see “MDNR releases update…” below.
High-risk adults with comorbidities (1B-Tier 2 classification) can seek the vaccine from their chosen medical provider beginning Monday, January 18. For more information, see “High-risk adults with comorbidities can seek vaccine…” below.
Six employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update. For more information, see “Six employees tested positive…” below.

Additional information and resources are available at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. Please submit questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

—–

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MANDATORY COVID-19 SURVEY DUE MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1

As Tracey Coleman, Director of Human Resources, mentioned in an email to all employees yesterday, MSD is making early preparations to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to active employees. To help manage that process, all employees are REQUIRED to complete the MSD Vaccine Survey by Monday, February 1. This survey will provide MSD’s leadership with information that will help them ensure the vaccine is distributed efficiently and effectively when it becomes available.

HIGH RISK ADULTS WITH COMORBIDITIES CAN SEEK VACCINE STARTING JANUARY 18

Starting on Monday, January 18, high-risk adults with comorbidities (1B-Tier 2 classification) can seek the vaccine from their chosen medical provider.

Phase 1B – Tier 2: High-Risk Individuals

Anyone aged 65 and older
Any adults with cancer
Chronic Kidney Disease
COPD
Heart Conditions
Weakened immune system due to organ transplant
Severe obesity (BMI >40)
Pregnancy
Sickle Cell Disease
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, or
Individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities such as Down Syndrome.

If employees have specific questions regarding the COVID Vaccine Distribution please call: 1-877-435-8411 Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services or https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/img/howto-3.jpg

SIX EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 101 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

As we mentioned in separate emails, six additional employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the last weekly email. This brings the total number of employees who have tested positive to date to one hundred one (101).

STAY INFORMED

Until Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - January 8, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT January 8, 2021, 12:04 p.m.

WHATS NEW?

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources released their findings on the Missouri Coronavirus Sewershed Surveillance project. Please find those results in their release here. For more information, see “MDNR releases update…” below.
Ask the CEO: Will MSD make COVID-19 vaccines available at facilities? Find the answer to this under “Ask the CEO…” below.
There were no new COVID-19 infections among MSD employees this week. For more information, see “No new infections…” below.

Additional information and resources are available at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. Please submit questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

—–

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MDNR RELEASES UPDATE ON MISSOURI’S CORONAVIRUS SEWERSHED SURVEILLANCE PROJECT

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) released an update on Missouri’s Coronavirus Sewershed Surveillance Project. Per the update, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and researchers at the University of Missouri – Columbia have been collaborating on a statewide project to test domestic wastewater for genetic markers of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

MSD’s seven treatment plants are among 59 wastewater facilities across the state that have been giving wastewater samples to the University of Missouri as part of this program. The researchers have gathered enough data to provide meaningful statistics and have developed a story map to display their findings.

Find out more about those results and find a link to the story map in their release here.

Please note that while wastewater can be used to detect infection rates within the community, it has been shown that the hygiene practices required to work around wastewater are equally effective in preventing COVID transmission.

ASK THE CEO – QUESTIONS FROM EMPLOYEES

Employees are encouraged to submit their questions to MSDcorona@stlmsd.com with the subject line, “Ask the CEO.”

Please find recent question(s) from employees below:

Q1. Is MSD planning to make COVID-19 vaccines available at MSD facilities like the flu vaccine?

A1. Yes. MSD has a goal to offer COVID Vaccination to employees. Currently, our intention is to leverage BJC’s services to facilitate the distribution.

We do not have a date as the state is slotting the priority of distribution.

NO NEW INFECTIONS AMONG MSD EMPLOYEES THIS WEEK

STAY INFORMED

Until next Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

MSD COVID-19 Update - January 4, 2021

A regular weekly update by Sean Hadley.

EMAIL SENT January 4, 2021 3:53 p.m.

WHATS NEW?

COVID-19 Virtual Townhalls will resume later this year. Please find answers to some of the recent questions Brian has received below. For more information, see “Virtual forums with CEO to resume…” below.
Outside travel, meeting, and activity restrictions extended through May 31, 2021. These restrictions could be extended further. For more information, see “Outside travel, meeting, and activity restrictions extended…” below.
EFMLA and EPSLA expired December 31, 2020. For more information, see “Family first coronavirus response act expired” below.
Six employees tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update. For more information, see “Six employees tested positive…” below.

Additional information and resources are available at www.MSDProjectClear.org/MSDCorona. Please submit questions to MSDCorona@stlmsd.com.

—–

Colleagues,

Please find the most recent updates regarding our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

VIRTUAL FORUMS WITH CEO TO RESUME LATER THIS YEAR

Brian Hoelscher has concluded his Fall virtual employee town hall meetings and will resume these meetings later this year. Please look for information on future town hall meetings in these updates.

Employees are still encouraged to submit their questions to MSDcorona@stlmsd.com with the subject line, “Ask the CEO.”

Please find recent question(s) from employees below:

Q1. If an employee is caring for an at-risk relative and is concerned about contracting the coronavirus at work, what should they do?

A1. If you are caring for an at-risk relative and are concerned about contracting the coronavirus at work, please talk to your supervisor about your specific situation.

Q2. Do consultants who work with or around MSD staff follow the same COVID-19 protocols MSD employees follow?

A2. Contractors follow the same protocols as MSD staff to mitigate the potential spread and to promote a healthy work environment. All contractors are asked to:

Follow temperature check guidelines
Follow mask-wearing guidelines
Follow social distancing guidelines
Minimize contact with MSD employees
Keep crews separated from MSD crews
Minimize non-essential contractor visits/work
Host meetings virtually when possible or outdoors

All plants have also implemented contactless deliveries when possible.

OUTSIDE TRAVEL, MEETING, AND ACTIVITY RESTRICTIONS EXTENDED THROUGH MAY 31, 2021

As part of our continuing effort to promote the health and safety of all MSD employees, senior leadership has decided to extend limits on outside travel, outside meetings, activities, and onsite meetings with external entities through May 31, 2021.

FAMILY FIRST CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE ACT (EPSL AND EFMLA LEAVE) EXPIRED

Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) expired on 12/31/20. The new $900 billion coronavirus pandemic relief package signed by the President on December 27, 2020, did not extend the mandatory paid leave provisions of the Family First Coronavirus. As a result, starting January 1, 2021, employers are no longer required to provide paid EPSLA, or EFMLA leave.

SIX EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19; 95 TOTAL CASES TO DATE

STAY INFORMED

Until Friday,

Sean Hadley
Public Affairs Manager

2022 Updates

2020 Updates