TOPEKA – In response to the continued spread of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, Governor Laura Kelly today released new guidance directing state agencies under the jurisdiction of the Executive Branch to resume remote work operations where possible.
“Since the start of the pandemic, my administration has followed the best public health guidance to keep our communities safe, mitigate the spread of the virus, and reduce strain on hospitals,” Governor Kelly said. “The decision to return to remote work was not made lightly – but we know that this is a necessary step to prevent COVID-19 infections. I am confident that our state employees will continue to provide quality services to all Kansans who need them.”
The remote work model will remain in place through October 4th. At that time, a re-assessment of current COVID-19 infection rates will determine when state employees can return to fully on-site work.
At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, state agency operations shifted to remote work for employees whose job functions could be performed remotely. In June, after a significant reduction in daily COVID-19 infections, state employees began returning to state office buildings.
As infection numbers began to rise again throughout the summer, a transition to remote work will help control the spread of the virus among state employees. Onsite staffing will be limited to only those necessary to safely conduct agency operations.
Mask requirements, social distancing and other mitigation measures will remain in place for employees whose jobs must be performed on-site. Public offices serving customers will be encouraged to re-institute mitigation measures that were previously utilized during the pandemic, such as scheduling “by appointment only” or making allowances for virtual as opposed to in-person interactions. All such measures will be carried out in a way as to have as minimal an impact or inconvenience on customers.