The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are reviewing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new guidelines about mask-wearing before releasing its own guidance.
The CDC now says that those who have been vaccinated can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying six feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance. The guidance, however, does not apply to long-term care residents and staff members, who still must wear masks.
OSHA has added a disclaimer to its COVID-19 webpage, stating that it intends to update its guidance after review. For now, the agency suggests that employers follow the administration’s Jan. 29 rulebook to reduce the risk of the coronavirus spreading in their workplaces. In that rulebook was a recommendation that employers require workers to wear masks, stay six feet away from others and follow other practices meant to stem the spread of COVID-19, even after they have been vaccinated.
The EEOC also has noted the CDC’s guidance on its website, adding that the agency is “considering any impact of these developments on COVID-19 technical assistance provided to date.”
