Cal/OSHA Adopts New Workplace COVID-19 Standards, Providing Relief for Vaccinated Employees

On June 17, 2021, following a dizzying series of events, the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration voted to adopt new emergency temporary standards for COVID-19, revising employer obligations designed to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. In addition to bringing face coverings and social distancing requirements into alignment with federal guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a recent order by the California Department of Public Health, the new standards update what is required of employers in creating mandatory COVID-19 prevention programs, including investigating and responding to COVID-19 in the workplace and providing engineering and administrative controls.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

CDC’s Newest Safety Guidance for the Fully Vaccinated Will Impact Employer and Business Policies

On May 13, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People, applicable to nonhealthcare settings, providing significant freedom to the fully vaccinated to move around and interact with each other with few restrictions.

However, before employers make any changes to their health and safety protocols, they must heed the CDC’s warning to consider applicable state and local laws, including local business and workplace guidance, to determine whether they differ from the CDC’s new guidance.

To read the full text of this Duane Morris Alert, please visit the firm website.

CDC Issues New Guidance for Fully Vaccinate Individuals – Visiting and the Relaxing of Masks and Social Distancing

Earlier this week, March 9, 2021, the CDC issued new guidance that provides that fully vaccinated people can do the following:

1.  Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing;

2.  Visit with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing; and

3.  Refrain from quarantine and testing following a known exposure if asymptomatic.

For purposes of the CDC guidance, someone is considered “fully vaccinated” 2 weeks after receiving their final COVID-19 vaccine dose. For individuals who receive the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, this means 2 weeks after the second dose of the vaccine.  For individuals who receive the J&J/Janssen vaccine, they will be considered “fully vaccinated” 2 weeks after they receive the first and only dose.

Duane Morris has an active team of lawyers who have been engaged in the review and dissemination of COVID related alerts, blogs and advice on various COVID related topics.  Please see our website for a list of all available articles and blogs.  

If you have any questions or thoughts, please contact Brad A. Molotsky, Sharon Caffrey, Elizabeth Mincer or any of the Duane Morris lawyers you regularly engage with.

Be well and stay safe.

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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