WHEREAS, on March 9, 2020, the State of Rhode Island Governor, Gina M. Raimondo, issued Executive Order 20-02 declaring a state of emergency due to the outbreak of COVID-19 as has been extended on December 22, 2020 (Executive Order 2020-109), which remains in effect; and

WHEREAS, on March 15, 2020, I, Mayor Roberto L. DaSilva, issued Executive Order 2020-004 declaring a state of municipal emergency due to the outbreak of COVID-19; and

WHEREAS, the East Providence City Council ratified the Declaration of Municipal Emergency at a meeting on March 17, 2020 and authorized its extension through January 19, 2021; and

WHEREAS, the Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), enacted in March 2020, required certain employers, including the City of East Providence, to provide their employees with paid sick leave benefits for specified reasons related to COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, the FFCRA benefits were available between April 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020; and

WHEREAS, the FFCRA benefits were not extended as part of the Federal coronavirus relief and spending package; and

WHEREAS, the City recognizes significant local impacts related to COVID-19 will continue to exist after December 31, 2020; and

WHEREAS, the City recognizes that quarantine and isolation are critical and effective methods to combat the spread of COVID-19 within our community and within our workforce;

NOW THEREFORE, the following emergency measures are hereby enacted:

1. Beginning January 1, 2021, the City of East Providence will provide COVID-19-related Administrative Leave to full-time and part-time employees.
2. Said COVID-19 Administrative Leave will be provided to employees who are unable to work, or unable to telework, due to the following reasons.
   • The employee is subject to federal, state or local quarantine or isolation orders related to COVID-19;
   • The employee has been advised by a health provider to self-quarantine related to COVID-19; or
     
   • The employee is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis
3. Said COVID-19 Administrative Leave is available for up to two weeks of the employee's regular schedule, and will mirror FFCRA Sick Leave benefits the City provided employees between April 1 and December 31, 2020.
   • If an employee is in quarantine or isolation because they elected to voluntarily travel to a state, with a positivity rate higher that 5 percent or nation that is listed on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) "Reconsider Travel or Do Not Travel" list, they shall be deemed ineligible for the benefit as stated in paragraph 2.
4. Said COVID-19 Administrative Leave, when combined with FFCRA Sick Leave benefits previously used, shall not exceed two weeks of an employee's regular schedule.
   • If an employee has previously exhausted the two weeks of FFCRA Sick Leave benefits, the employee will not be eligible for COVID-19 Administrative Leave
   • If an employe has previously exhausted a portion of the two weeks of FFCRA Sick Leave benefits, the employee will only be eligible for COVID-19 Administrative Leave for the remainder of the unused day (s).

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Mayor Roberto L. DaSilva, by virtue of the authority vested in me as the Mayor of the City of East Providence, pursuant to the Rhode Island General Laws and the Home Rule Charter of the City of East Providence, do hereby order and direct the following:

This Order shall remain in effect until March 31, 2021 or the expiration of the state of declaration of municipal emergency, whichever is sooner, unless rescinded of further extended by and with the consent of the City Council.