On March 7, 2022, New York City lifted several pandemic related restrictions. Indoor venues, including restaurants, fitness facilities, and entertainment spaces will no longer be required to check for proof of vaccination before customers enter or require people to wear masks. Businesses previously covered by Key to NYC rules will still have the flexibility to require … Read more
The CDC released new guidance suggesting that 70 percent of Americans can now stop wearing masks, and no longer need to social distance or avoid crowded indoor spaces. The recommendations no longer rely only on the number of cases in a community to determine the need for restrictions such as mask wearing. Instead, they direct … Read more
Governor Kathy Hochul lifted the indoor mask mandate in New York, which required businesses to ask for proof of full vaccination or require masks indoors at all times. This became effective February 10th and reflected the continued decline of the Omicron variant. The Governor left in place a mask requirement in schools until March when … Read more
On January 25, 2022, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) announced the withdrawal of its emergency temporary standard (“ETS”) that would have required private sector US employers with 100 or more employees to either mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for their employees or require them to comply with weekly COVID-19 testing and face covering requirements. OSHA’s … Read more
As we previously reported, New York State passed the Health and Essential Rights Act (“HERO Act”) to prevent the spread of all airborne infectious diseases in the workplace and establish workplace safety committees. The law requires employers to implement industry-specific airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plans. Since September 6, 2021, the Department of Health Commissioner … Read more
The United States Supreme Court has blocked the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) from enforcing the emergency temporary standard (“ETS”) which required businesses with at least 100 employees to ensure workers are vaccinated against the coronavirus or wear masks and undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. The parties will now go back to the lower courts to … Read more
On December 22, 2021, the New York State Department of Labor (“NYSDOL”) adopted the proposed regulations on the New York State Paid Sick Leave (“NYSPSL”) Law. The regulations addressed the manner in which employees are to be counted for purposes of determining employer coverage under the NYSPSL Law, the extent to which employers can request … Read more
Mayor Eric Adams stated that he will maintain the current vaccine mandate in effect for all employees in New York City. All people who perform in-person work or who interact with the public must have 2 doses of the vaccine (if Moderna or Pfizer) by February 10, 2022 and were already required to have had … Read more
As noted in our recent client alert, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the stay on OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), and OSHA is currently proceeding with implementation of the ETS. OSHA now has updated its FAQs to clarify that employees have until February 9, 2022 to complete the primary … Read more
New York State requires that ALL indoor venues (including offices and other places of business, including vehicles) have one of two mandatory policies: They must either require all who enter to be vaccinated (and provide proof of vaccine), or they must require that everyone, regardless of their vaccine status, wear masks at all times. If … Read more
On December 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) announced new guidance for isolation and quarantine for those infected with, or exposed to, COVID-19. The CDC has shortened its prior recommendation of isolation and quarantine periods of up to 14 days as follows: Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 (regardless of vaccination … Read more
On April 23, 2021, the New York legislature passed the Health and Essential Rights (“HERO” or “Act”), which aimed to protect workers and the public from the risks posed by COVID-19 and other airborne infectious diseases by requiring employers with worksites located in New York State to implement specific workplace health and safety standards. The Act was … Read more