Publication: Los Angeles Times
SACRAMENTO — To slow the spread of COVID-19, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has dramatically restricted customer visits to its field offices, barring people who do not have appointments and warning that no new slots to appear in person are currently available.
But some field office employees who spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity raised concerns that the measures don’t go far enough, leaving staff and customers vulnerable to infection while offices remain open.
The employees also say that a recent decision by the DMV to quietly waive knowledge tests that had previously been required for license renewals and those with an out of state license could potentially put the public at risk.
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Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) said that DMV officials need to determine whether the agency can continue to serve people at a safe distance while respecting orders from the Department of Health.
“I know the DMV is deemed an essential service. And the question is which services are the most essential and how many can be done remotely or virtually and which ones require people to come in,” said Ting, chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee, which has held hearings on DMV operations.
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