Safety and Health (including COVID-19)

On July 29, 2022, New York State declared a state of disaster emergency in response to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak.  The Executive Order enables the state to respond more swiftly to the outbreak and allows health care professionals to take additional steps that will help get more New Yorkers vaccinated.  In addition, on Saturday, July … Read more

On July 12, 2022, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) updated its COVID-19 FAQs, revising earlier guidance regarding permissible COVID-19 testing, workplace screening, and mandatory vaccine policies.  We recommend that employers review the updated guidance in its entirety, which can be found at www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-should-know-about-covid-19-and-ada-rehabilitation-act-and-other-eeo-laws

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