Roxanna Torres prepares a to-go order at Baker & Commons in Berkeley Wednesday, Jan.19. Experts recommend wearing N95 masks in indoor work settings. CalMatters photo/Martin do Nascimento photo
Ana B. IbarraCalMattersLook no further than a favorite restaurant, a child’s school or the hospital to see the effect of California’s latest bout of infections.Cases have skyrocketed since the holidays, reaching nearly 7 million people infected since the pandemic began. That means so many workers are calling in sick that many businesses and offices are left understaffed and fellow workers are stretched thin.Health officials are walking a fine line between keeping essential services and the economy afloat and controlling the spread of the virus. But a labor shortage has noticeably influenced national and state COVID-19 policies, even temporarily allowing for health care employees to continue working despite a positive test as long as they feel no symptoms and wear
