Public Outbreaks

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By Hoorya Ahmad and Patrick Joyce

Seyfarth Synopsis: Washington State’s COVID-19 emergency declaration expires October 31, 2022 but the Health Emergency Labor Standards Act (HELSA) administered by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), and codified at WAC 296-62-602 to -609, will remain in place for the time being.

HELSA is triggered by…

Continue Reading Washington’s COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Expires October 31, 2022 — Employers Must Continue to Follow HELSA Notice & Reporting Requirements

By Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, Patrick D. Joyce, Mark A. Lies, II, James L. Curtis, Brent I. Clark, Benjamin D. Briggs, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: The WHO and the CDC have updated statements and FAQs on the monkeypox disease, declaring the disease a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern.” …
Continue Reading UPDATED: The U.S. Joins WHO, Declaring Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency

By Samantha L. Brooks, Karla Grossenbacher, and A. Scott Hecker

Seyfarth Synopsis: On July 12, 2022, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued updated guidance for employers on the interplay of workplace bias laws and COVID-19 workplace testing, vaccinations, and other return-to-work issues, including reasonable accommodations and access to employees’ confidential medical information.  Employers continue to face these …
Continue Reading In Policy Pivot, EEOC Revises Pandemic Guidance To Move Away From A “Direct Threat” Analysis and Focus on “Business Necessity” As Employers Return Employees To The Workplace

By Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, Brent I. Clark, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: Omicron BA5 strain has become dominant and has evolved to render vaccinations and boosters less effective, resulting in many employers revisiting their COVID-19 policies.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19,…
Continue Reading Still Coughing: Now-Dominant COVID-19 Variant Can Elude Current Vaccines, Prompts FDA Action

By A. Scott Hecker, Benjamin D. Briggs, Adam R. Young, Patrick Joyce, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: On May 25, 2022, Douglas Parker, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, testified before the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor’s Workforce Protections Subcommittee regarding his vision for the …
Continue Reading The Slow and the Furious: OSHA’s Rulemakings Continue at Various Stages with Infectious Diseases a Priority

By Ilana Morady, Patrick D. Joyce, and Coby Turner

Seyfarth Synopsis: On April 21, 2022, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board (“Board”) voted 6-1 to approve a third adoption of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (“ETS”). The revised ETS will likely go into effect the first week of May and will expire on December 31, 2022.

Background

As…
Continue Reading Third Iteration of the Cal/OSHA ETS Approved

By Ilana Morady, Patrick D. Joyce, and Coby Turner

Seyfarth Synopsis: The Cal/OSHA Standards Board (“Board”) has published proposed language for the third adoption of the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (“ETS”), which will be voted on during the upcoming April 21, 2022 Board meeting. The ETS, assuming it is readopted, will expire on December 31, 2022. …
Continue Reading Third Iteration of the Cal/OSHA ETS is Around the Corner

By Benjamin D. Briggs, A. Scott Hecker, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: CDC’s new COVID-19 Quarantine and Isolation calculator “takes the stress out of deciding when, and for how long, individuals with COVID-19 and close contacts need to stay home, get tested, and wear a well-fitting mask.”

The new CDC calculator may…
Continue Reading CDC Publishes New Quarantine and Isolation Calculator

By Benjamin D. Briggs, Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has reopened its rulemaking record and scheduled an informal public hearing to seek comments on specific topics that relate to the development of a permanent OSHA standard to protect healthcare and healthcare support …
Continue Reading Rulemaking Continues on New OSHA COVID-19 Permanent Standard to Protect Healthcare Workers

By Chantelle C. Egan, Bernard Olshansky, Patrick D. Joyce, and Ilana Morady

Seyfarth Synopsis: On February 28, 2022, California’s Governor Newsom issued a press release lifting California’s mask requirements for unvaccinated individuals in indoor settings, downgrading the former requirement to a strong recommendation, effective March 1, 2022.  The same day, the California Department of Public Health …
Continue Reading California Loosens Indoor Masking Requirements for the Unvaccinated