California recently changed its isolation policy for COVID-19. People in California who are COVID-positive and symptomatic may now stop isolating if their symptoms are improving and have been fever-free for 24 hours, and people who are COVID-positive and asymptomatic do not have to isolate at all. This policy, however, is not new, but was copied from Oregon's similar isolation policy that Oregon put in place in May 2023. Both states are now at odds with CDC guidance. Furthermore, most people remain infectious with COVID-19 for more than five days, and an isolation period longer than five days - not significantly less as CA and OR have done - is scientifically needed.

California has a state safety order, section 3205, on COVID-19 Prevention, which puts in place protections for employees and workplaces in relation to COVID-19. The California Department of Public Health in making its new change redefined the asymptomatic "infectious period" as "there is no infectious period for the purpose of isolation or exclusion," even though asymptomatic people are still infectious, as well as the changes made in length of time for people with symptoms. This language weakens employee protections in Section 3205.

Oregon has extensively defended its politically-motivated isolation policy, and California met with Oregon in order to put the isolation policy in place. Now, both states have dangerous and discriminatory isolation policies that exclude high-risk people from participation in society and will lead to increased levels of serious illness, including Long COVID, and death. Oregon has also recently met with six other states and the CDC, to promote these policies, and is meeting with Washington soon.

California and Oregon advise in their policies for people to "avoid" high-risk people, which is discriminatory in nature. Under the ADA and California and Oregon state law, disabled people have an equal right to access to public spaces; under Section 504, disabled students have the right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Several communities are at increased risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19, including people of color, older people, and other individuals who are at high-risk (a significant portion of the population). Every person in California and Oregon is at high risk for Long COVID, and risks for Long COVID and severe disease increase with each reinfection.

Oregon has claimed that there has not been a significant impact from this policy. However, they have dismantled most data related to case reporting and removed COVID-19 as a reportable disease in most instances last year, so they actually do not have the data. They also changed their metric for measuring deaths and are often behind in reporting them; recently, they did not post death data for two months. In addition, they changed COVID-specific policies to a more general "Communicable Diseases Guidance" that conflates COVID-19 with flu, RSV, and colds, and dismantled their COVID-19 school outbreak measurements. California similarly will not be able to meaningfully measure the outcomes of the new policy and is treating COVID-19 like other illnesses.

In a recent interview, Oregon's state epidemiologist described the policies as based in "equity," saying, "trying to make sure that we weren’t unnecessarily burdening families, keeping kids out of school, or keeping people out of work who may have very limited sick leave — this made sense for us." Calling this policy - one that excludes disabled people, people of color, and other high-risk people from equal and safe access to public spaces - "equity" is twisting the very definition of the word. It is anything but equitable. This policy will worsen disparities, which California and Oregon know. It is clear that California won't advocate for better tools, such as mask mitigations and paid sick leave, so they're settling for worse.

Please tell California that their policies are unsafe and demand that they reinstate a safer, more science- and public health-based, longer isolation policy.

This letter is for people from everywhere to send to California's officials - you don't need to be from California to send this letter! Please also use this letter to contact Oregon's officials!

(A reminder when submitting comments that comments are public record.)