There are many things in motion right now regarding COVID-19 protocols: quickly approaching deadlines, a Supreme Court case, and updated CDC guidance. The ABA team put together a quick read on the top three things you need to know about what's happening in the coming days and weeks.
1. OSHA COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS)
Supreme Court case ABA and the other petitioners filed a motion requesting a new emergency stay on OSHA's COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS with the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS). SCOTUS is set to hear oral arguments on the stay on January 7, 2022, at 10 am ET. You can listen live to the oral arguments at SCOTUS’s website.
Given the uncertainty of when SCOTUS will make a decision, we would encourage members to continue to prepare for compliance, OSHA will begin enforcement of the ETS on January 10, 2022, and the standard’s testing requirements on February 9, 2022. For further information on OSHA’s ETS please visit the following resources:
OSHA’s Sample Policies:
ABA will update Members on any developments around enforcement of the ETS.
2. CDC Guidance Updates for Isolation and Masking
- CDC has shortened its isolation and quarantine recommendations for those who are positive with COVID-19 or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive.
- The guidance matrix provides recommendations for individuals who are unvaccinated, vaccinated with a booster shot, and vaccinated without a booster.
- What this means for your business is an assessment from The Acheson Group (TAG) and can serve as a useful resource for your company.
3. Access to COVID-19 tests through the Rapid Action Consortium
- The Rapid Action Consortium (RAC), has access to affordable, high-quality COVID-19 rapid tests for its members thanks to the organization’s buying power.
- The Consortium also has access to an app at a reduced price that can help organizations align with the OSHA ETS requirements by using AI to read and interpret results (and have human validation where the AI is unable to read results).
- Each RAC member organization covers the costs of their own tests.
