![]() ![]() Another 21 states and Washington, D.C., have developed their own definitions for essential workers. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued guidance on the essential critical infrastructure workforce, which at least 20 states have adopted outright. Energy can be split broadly into three subsectors: electricity, natural gas and petroleum-all three of which fuel the nation’s transportation and manufacturing, and power everything from health care and government institutions to individual homes and businesses. The energy sector is made up of several interdependent systems that provide services that are vital to the nation’s health, safety and security. Nonprofits and social service organizations.īelow, we dive into each of these sectors, discussing the pre-COVID-19 workforce, why each is considered “essential,” how this designation is impacting workers and the sector itself and provide state examples.Critical trades (construction workers, electricians, plumbers, etc.).grocery stores, hardware stores, mechanics). Between the federal guidelines and state essential worker orders, a number of major sectors overlap including, but not limited to: ![]() For example, in some states workers supporting religious organizations and churches are considered essential, while in some others workers who support the cannabis industry receive the essential designation. Often using CISA’s guidelines as a starting point, states have added and subtracted essential worker categories and sectors based on what makes the most sense for them. The remaining 23 states (including Washington, DC) who have issued essential worker orders have developed their own lists of who needs to be continuing to work under stay-at-home orders. The agency says, “promoting the ability of to continue to work during periods of community restriction, access management, social distancing or closure orders is crucial to community resilience and the continuity of essential functions.” State Definitions CISA’s guidance and sector-specific list, according to the agency’s website, are intended to support state and local governments in their identification of essential workers. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Of the 43 states with essential worker orders or directives, 21 now defer to the federal definitions developed by the US. Critical infrastructure is a large, umbrella term encompassing sectors from energy to defense to agriculture. ![]() Department of Homeland Security, essential workers are those who conduct a range of operations and services that are typically essential to continue critical infrastructure operations. At this point, 46 states and Washington, DC have issued some sort of guidance on which sectors and industries they consider “essential” despite pandemic-related restrictions. State and federal officials quickly recognized that some statewide measures and/or federal guidelines would be helpful to align the efforts of overlapping jurisdictions. The first wave of shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders in response to COVID-19 largely consisted of local governments asking residents of cities and counties to stay in their homes, away from their businesses. The National Academy for State Health Policy released a guide to how each state defines their phases and which essential workers are prioritized. One commonality between the state plans is that health care workers, long-term care residents, and teachers and childcare workers are among the first to be prioritized in vaccine distribution. While federal recommendations continue to evolve, states are tasked with developing their own distribution plans and identifying how the phased approach will include frontline and essential workers, as well as who falls under those categories. In December ACIP recommended prioritizing residents in long term care facilities and health care personnel to receive the initial COVID-19 vaccines and proposed guidance on prioritizing frontline and essential workers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) provides recommendations for who will receive the COVID-19 vaccine while there are limited doses, taking into consideration the vaccine’s physical effect on different age groups, ethnicities and people with underlying medical conditions. COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization for Frontline and Essential Workers ![]()
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