By: James L. Curtis,  Patrick D. JoyceAdam R. YoungMelissa 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 Scott HeckerElisabeth Watson, and Karla Grossenbacher

Seyfarth Synopsis: Your dedicated Seyfarth Team has created a checklist to help covered employers achieve compliance with the OSHA COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) in timely fashion.

Pending legal challenges have called into question the viability of ETS, published in the Federal Register on November 5,
Continue Reading What Must Employers Do to Comply with OSHA’s ETS? Check out our Checklist for Answers

By James L. CurtisAdam R. YoungScott Hecker, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: Federal OSHA is warning Arizona, South Carolina, and Utah that they risk a federal takeover of their worker safety programs unless they adopt a federal emergency temporary standard (ETS) protecting health-care workers from COVID -19.

OSHA published its
Continue Reading Three OSHA State Plans Under Fire for Failure to Adopt COVID Emergency Temporary Standard for Health Care

By Brent I. Clark, James L. CurtisBenjamin D. BriggsAdam R. Young, Patrick D. JoyceIlana R. Morady, Daniel R. Birnbaum, Scott Hecker, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: On October 12, 2021, OSHA submitted to the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (“OIRA”) an emergency temporary standard
Continue Reading OSHA Sends COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Emergency Temporary Standard to White House for Final Review

By James L. Curtis, Benjamin D. Briggs, Adam R. YoungPatrick D. Joyce, A. Scott Hecker, Ilana Morady, Daniel R. Birnbaum, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: President Biden announced a six-pronged, “comprehensive national strategy” to combat COVID-19, which will include a second OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard requiring vaccines or testing.
Continue Reading OSHA to Issue New COVID Emergency Temporary Standard Mandating COVID-19 Vaccination, Testing, Paid Time Off

By James L. CurtisAdam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: Labelling the Delta-variant surge as the “Pandemic of the Unvaccinated,” on August 26, 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Prtizker announced that Illinois residents must wear masks indoors, and that school and health care staff must be vaccinated.

Cook County and the City of Chicago both had
Continue Reading Illinois Governor Announces Mask Mandate for All Indoor Settings, Regardless of Vaccination

By Brent I. ClarkJames L. CurtisBenjamin D. BriggsMark A. Lies, IIAdam R. YoungA. Scott HeckerIlana MoradyPatrick D. JoyceDaniel R. BirnbaumMatthew A. Sloan, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: Today the FDA approved Comirnaty (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA), previously known as Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19
Continue Reading FDA Grants Full Approval to the Pfizer Vaccine

By Brent I. ClarkJames L. CurtisBenjamin D. BriggsMark A. Lies, IIAdam R. YoungA. Scott HeckerIlana MoradyPatrick D. JoyceDaniel R. BirnbaumMatthew A. Sloan, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: Today OSHA updated its Protecting Workers Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread
Continue Reading OSHA Issues Updated Protecting Workers Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace

By Brent I. ClarkJames L. CurtisBenjamin D. BriggsMark A. Lies, IIAdam R. YoungA. Scott HeckerIlana MoradyPatrick D. JoyceDaniel R. BirnbaumMatthew A. Sloan, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: In light of rising cases of COVID-19, the CDC has recently reversed its
Continue Reading OSHA Gives Health Care Employers Green Light to Continue Permitting Facemask Exemptions, Despite New CDC Guidance

By Brent I. ClarkJames L. CurtisBenjamin D. BriggsMark A. Lies, IIAdam R. YoungA. Scott HeckerIlana MoradyPatrick D. JoyceDaniel R. BirnbaumMatthew A. Sloan, and Craig B. Simonsen

Seyfarth Synopsis: President Biden recently laid out his administration’s next steps in efforts to get
Continue Reading President Biden to Require Federal Workers, Contractors to Provide Vaccine Attestation or Mask, Distance, and Test Multiple Times Per Week