NYC Issues Guidance on Private Sector Vaccine Mandate, Expands Key to NYC Program

As anticipated, New York City issued guidance on December 15, 2021, addressing its new private sector vaccination mandate, as well as the recent expansion of its Key to NYC program. Beginning December 27, workers in New York City who report to a New York City workplace or interact with the public must show proof they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, unless an exception due to a religious or medical accommodation applies, or a worker only ever enters the workplace for a quick and limited purpose.

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

OSHA Announces Enforcement of Emergency Standard Requiring Vaccination or Testing – but Further Stay Is Sought

OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard on COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing (ETS) is now in effect, following a court-ordered stay. OSHA has announced that for employers making reasonable, good faith efforts to comply with the ETS, it would not begin enforcing all ETS requirements other than testing until January 10, 2022, and the ETS testing requirement for unvaccinated employees until February 9, 2022.

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

COVID-19 Travel Restrictions to Be Lifted for Certain Vaccinated Foreign National Travelers

On October 25, 2021, the Biden administration announced additional details on changes to the COVID-19 travel restrictions currently in place. Beginning November 8, 2021, the COVID-19-related regional restrictions on travel by foreign nationals to the United States will be replaced with a vaccine-based system. All nonimmigrants traveling by air to the United States will be required to show an acceptable COVID-19 vaccination and negative COVID-19 test―with certain exceptions based, for example, on age or on medical or humanitarian reasons.

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

OSHA Updates COVID-19 Guidance for Masking and Testing of Vaccinated Workers and Further Encourages Vaccination

OSHA recently updated its Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace for employers in nonhealthcare settings. The updated OSHA guidance tracks the CDC’s July 27, 2021, recommendations, based upon the increased spread of the delta variant and new evidence that vaccinated persons can spread COVID-19. The updated OSHA guidance, together with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s August 23, 2021, approval of the first COVID-19 vaccine, may lead to increased worker vaccination mandates.

The updated guidance now provides for vaccinated workers to mask in public areas in all workplaces located in counties with substantial or high COVID-19 community transmission.

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

COVID-19 Vaccine Approval Further Opens Door for Employer Mandates

On August 23, the FDA granted full approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals age 16 and older. Some employees who expressed vaccine hesitancy because the FDA approval was only an emergency use authorization (EUA) may have less hesitancy now. This may be a good time, through employee education, to once again encourage your employees to get vaccinated.

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

As COVID Retreats, Why You Should Require Students to Get Vaccinated

We no longer wake up every day to increasing numbers of deaths, infections, and reminders about social distancing and vaccine shortages. Instead, we now read about record low numbers of infections, limited fatalities, and a domestic surplus of vaccine so large that we are now vaccinating children as young as 12 and may be exporting it by June.

And, just last week, the CDC dispensed with mask guidance for vaccinated people. This prompted President Biden to host his first “maskless” appearance of his presidency. For college leaders planning the summer and fall semesters, it’s a 180-degree turnaround that we were afraid to hope for just last year.

Yet here we are. The question now vexing colleges is how to safely reopen on-ground learning with a pandemic in retreat. It’s a nice problem to have, but it still has to be solved.

To read the full text of this article by Duane Morris partner Edward M. Cramp, please visit the University Business website.

Issues for Higher Education Institutions to Consider When Implementing a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

As states have opened COVID-19 vaccinations to all individuals 16 and older (and are expanding to age 12 and older, based on the CDC advisory committee’s recent recommendation), institutions of higher education, like many other employers, are considering whether to encourage or possibly mandate their employees to receive a vaccination. Unlike other organizations, institutions of higher education have the added quandary of whether to encourage or mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for students in an effort to return to full in-person instruction.

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

Considerations and Implications of the Proposed Temporary Waiver of COVID-19 Vaccine-Related Intellectual Property Rights

The World Trade Organization is considering a proposal, advanced by India and South Africa in October 2020, to waive intellectual property rights related to the development of the vaccines against COVID-19 for the duration of the pandemic. The Biden administration has indicated its support.

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

New Jersey Expands List of Eligible Vaccine Recipients

On March 27, 2021), New Jersey Gov. Murphy announced the expansion of eligibility for vaccines to more frontline essential workers and high-risk groups in New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccination program.

Eligible groups include individuals ages 55-64, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, higher education instructors and staff, and communications and utility infrastructure workers, among others.

To read the full text of this post by Duane Morris partner Brad Molotsky, please visit the Duane Morris Project Development/Infrastructure/P3 Blog.

Vaccine Guidance Arrives for California Employers

New guidance has arrived from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) for employers in California. With three approved vaccines against COVID-19 infection and a fourth undergoing clinical trials in the United States, the new DFEH guidance addresses questions relating to vaccines and the workplace. The guidance is especially timely, with some employees expressing reluctance to receive vaccinations and others hesitant to return to work fearing COVID-19 exposure.

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

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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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