What do the new CDC Guidelines for vaccinated people mean in the Workplace?

By Ernest B. Orsatti, Esquire
Rothman Gordon
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidance for people who have been vaccinated. As of May 13, 2021, they advise:

· Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance. (Emphasis added.)

· Fully vaccinated people can refrain from testing following a known exposure unless they are residents or employees of a correctional or detention facility or a homeless shelter.

This has raised a number of questions as to what this means in the workplace. OSHA is reviewing the new CDC guidelines but cautions “Under the OSH Act, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Implementing a workplace COVID-19 prevention program is the most effective way to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at work.”