The Puerto Rico Department of Health has implemented, through an amendment to the Case Investigation and Contact Tracing Guidelines, new quarantine measures that differ from those imposed by Executive Order 2021-075.
On Monday, December 27, 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a press release announcing it was shortening its quarantine and isolation recommendations.
Puerto Rico Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi recently issued back-to-back executive orders (EO) regarding COVID-19. It appears that the third EO was stuck in holiday traffic.
On December 21, 2021, Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued Public Health Order 2021-2, a vaccine mandate for certain public accommodations that is meant to help curb the spread of COVID-19 as the Omicron variant continues to surge.
On December 20, 2021, the City of Boston announced a new vaccination mandate, known as “B Together." The mandate applies to certain indoor establishments, including restaurants, entertainment venues, and gyms, and it covers employees as well as patrons.
At their final meeting of the year, city councilors in Portland, Maine left the city’s existing COVID-19 emergency order in place, thereby triggering a hazard pay requirement and creating a $19.50 hourly wage starting January 1, 2022.
In two days, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi issued back-to-back executive orders, establishing greater restrictions on mass activities, food and drink establishments, and air passengers arriving on the Island.
On the evening of December 17, 2021, the Sixth Circuit dissolved the Fifth Circuit’s stay of the federal OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), which imposes “vaccinate or test” requirements for private employers.
On December 16, 2021, California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board adopted its second set of proposed revisions to the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 ETS. Governor Newsom also issued a surprise order clearing the way for a potential third readoption.
There have been significant developments in the legal challenges brought against the interim final rule of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which requires vaccination of all healthcare workers at CMS-covered facilities throughout the U.S.