Laserfiche WebLink
WHEREAS, Orange County remains in the most restrictive purple tier, where many <br />non -essential business operations remain closed and the virus widespread; and <br />WHEREAS, as of February 25, 2021, the WHO Situation Report reported a global <br />total of 112,209,815 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2,490,776 deaths; California <br />reported 3,455,361 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 49,877 deaths; and Santa <br />Ana has reported 43,835 cases of COVID-19, including 688 deaths; and <br />WHEREAS, grocery and retail pharmacy stores are essential businesses <br />operating in Santa Ana during the COVID-19 emergency, making grocery and retail <br />pharmacy workers highly vulnerable to economic insecurity and health or safety risks; <br />and <br />WHEREAS, grocery and retail pharmacy workers have been unable to work from <br />home, including those with children engaged in distance learning, and have therefore <br />likely incurred additional childcare expenses; and <br />WHEREAS, grocery and retail pharmacy workers are essential workers who <br />perform services that are fundamental to the economy and health of the community during <br />the COVID-19 crisis. They work in high risk conditions with inconsistent access to <br />protective equipment and other safety measures; work in public situations with limited <br />ability to engage in physical distancing; and continually expose themselves and the public <br />to the spread of disease; and <br />WHEREAS, premium pay, paid in addition to regular wages, is an established type <br />of compensation for employees performing hazardous duty or work involving physical <br />hardship that can cause extreme physical discomfort and distress; and <br />WHEREAS, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, many grocery <br />companies provided premium pay, which was generally implemented as either a <br />temporary hourly wage increase or a one-time bonus, but this practice has either <br />generally been phased out or terminated; and <br />WHEREAS, grocery and retail pharmacy workers working during the COVID-19 <br />emergency merit additional compensation because they are performing hazardous duty <br />due to the significant risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Grocery and retail pharmacy <br />workers have been working under these hazardous conditions for months. They are <br />working in these hazardous conditions now and will continue to face safety risks as the <br />virus presents an ongoing threat for an uncertain period, potentially resulting in <br />subsequent waves of infection. Additionally, new and potentially more contagious <br />variants of the coronavirus have now been detected in California; and <br />WHEREAS, the availability of grocery and retail pharmacy stores is fundamental <br />to the health of the community and is made possible during the COVID-19 emergency <br />because grocery and retail pharmacy workers are on the frontlines of this devastating <br />pandemic supporting public health, safety, and welfare by working in hazardous <br />situations; and <br />Ordinance No. NS-3002 <br />Page 2 of 11 <br />