California Senate and Assembly offices in the state’s Capitol building are closed for the week on Monday due to an increase of COVID-19 cases within the Capitol workforce.
On Friday, the Assembly Rules Committee distributed a memo to legislators notifying them that two legislative employees tested positive for coronavirus.
The two employees were last in the Capitol on June 26. According to the memo, both staffers wore masks.
The Assembly Rules Committee said that the extended contacts of the two staffers were notified that they may have been exposed.
In a letter to state Senators and staff on Sunday, Secretary of the Senate Erika Contreras said the closure is an effort to reduce the transmission of coronavirus.
Only essential Rules Committee employees who have been previously notified that they need to come to work should be in the Capitol and the Legislative Office Building.
All other employees are asked to work remotely.
The state is requiring all employees in the legislatures who are not working remotely to follow several guidelines, including wearing a face covering, self-assess for illness, maintain 6 feet of social distancing and staying home if sick.
“Please know that the safety of our employees is our top priority,” Contreras wrote. “We are actively monitoring the situation as it relates to the Capitol community and our district offices, and will continually assess and adjust as conditions warrant. We will update you as more information becomes available.”
