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
By: James L. Curtis, Patrick D. Joyce, Adam R. Young, Melissa Ortega, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: On Friday, February 25, 2022, the CDC significantly eased COVID-19 mask guidelines. The new guidelines are based on COVID-19 community levels.
As the COVID-19 surge fueled by the Omicron variant began to retreat, many states eased or planned
Continue Reading CDC Eases Pandemic Mask Guidelines
By Ilana Morady, Coby Turner, and Patrick D. Joyce
Seyfarth Synopsis: On December 16, 2021, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board voted to readopt the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) with changes that will take effect January 14, 2022. This readoption includes many changes to the current ETS, including an elimination of many of the current distinctions between
Continue Reading Cal/OSHA Adopts Revised and Restrictive COVID-19 ETS
By Benjamin D. Briggs, Patrick D. Joyce, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its original recommendation for all people to wear cloth face coverings when in public and around other people, now acknowledging that face coverings not only protect others, but also protect the wearer.
On November
Continue Reading CDC Updates FAQs on Face Coverings – Now Recommending Use to Also Protect the Wearer
By Benjamin D. Briggs, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: A new report from the National Safety Council (NSC), State of the Response: Employer Actions to Address the Pandemic, provides an overview of how employers have been responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NSC survey sought to understand which COVID-19-related safety practices were
Continue Reading NSC Publishes Benchmarking Report on COVID-19 Safety Practices Implemented in Business and Industry
By James L. Curtis, Mark A. Lies, II, Adam R. Young, Patrick D. Joyce, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: In two recent guidance documents, OSHA recommends that employers encourage workers to wear cloth face coverings to reduce the spread of COVID-19. OSHA further addresses the challenges posed by cloth face coverings for workers in
Continue Reading OSHA Publishes New Guidance on Use of Cloth Face Coverings and Heat Illness Prevention
By James L. Curtis, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has updated its frequently asked questions and answers to advise employers about the use of face masks in the workplace.
We had blogged previously about face masks at work. See DOL Issues FAQs About Face Coverings, Surgical
Continue Reading OSHA Updates FAQs on Face Masks in the Workplace
By Jaclyn Gross and Chantelle C. Egan
Seyfarth Synopsis: As counties begin loosening local restrictions and summer approaches, and in an effort to preempt a rise in COVID-19 cases, the California Department of Public Health issued a directive mandating that residents statewide wear face coverings.
Before last week, California only recommended that residents wear face coverings as a precautionary
Continue Reading Nothing Comes Close To The Golden Coast: California Requires Masks