LIVE @ 5: California regulators to reconsider mask standard for workers
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California’s workplace regulators are set to again reconsider controversial masking rules designed to protect employees against the coronavirus requirements that business organizations say will make it harder for them to operate when the state fully reopens its economy next week.
A “special meeting” of the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board was hastily scheduled for Wednesday after State Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón sent a letter to the panel reiterating the state’s plans to follow federal guidance starting next Tuesday.
(You can watch the meeting live below starting at 5 pm)
The board’s decision to adopt rules that are stricter than the pending state guidelines has put Gov. Gavin Newsom in an awkward position as the state nears what he promised would be a full reopening.
On June 3, 2021, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board adopted new emergency temporary standards with respect to COVID-19. Although many employers.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California’s workplace regulators are set to again reconsider controversial masking rules designed to protect employees against the coronavirus requirements that business organizations say will make it harder for them to operate when the state fully reopens its economy next week.
A “special meeting’’ of the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board was hastily scheduled for Wednesday after State Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón sent a letter to the panel reiterating the state s plans to follow federal guidance starting next Tuesday.
Aragón said the state will do away with virtually all social distancing requirements and drop the mask requirement for people who are vaccinated while “requiring face coverings for all unvaccinated individuals in indoor public settings and businesses.”
Time to read: about 2 minutes
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health approved revised workplace guidelines last week that would require workers to continue wearing a mask in some situations even if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
In a marathon hearing that lasted more than six hours Thursday, Cal/OSHA s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted to adopt the revised guidance, which mandates that fully vaccinated workers need to wear a mask if a co-worker in the same room is unvaccinated.
In addition, masks are not required in rooms in which all workers are vaccinated. Outdoors, vaccinated and unvaccinated workers without symptoms only need to wear a mask when working at an event with more than 10,000 attendees.