COVID-19 contractions that occur in California dental practices must be reported to the state's division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration if the illness falls under the agency's serious illness reporting regulation.
Cal/OSHA defines a serious illness or injury as one that necessitates inpatient hospitalization, excluding instances where the individual was hospitalized for medical observation or diagnostic testing.
Since a dental employee infected with COVID-19 may require hospitalization, dental practices should be mindful of reporting such instances, as reports of serious illness need to reach Cal/OSHA within eight hours of when the employer became aware.
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