As previously discussed, on May 24, 2021, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced the lifting of COVID-19 mask requirements for certain employers, while continuing to require masks for others. In a point of frustration for many New Jersey employers, the requirements seemed to require masking and social distancing in an inconsistent manner, and imposed

As most of our readers likely know by now, on May 13, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that, “[i]f you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.” The CDC went on the state that “[f]ully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing.”

Quite understandably, this led many U.S. businesses to wonder whether their workforces are still required to wear a mask or physically distance in the workplace – particularly because the CDC’s guidance also provides that businesses still need to be abide by applicable state and local laws, rules, and regulations concerning mask wearing and physical distancing.

New York State employers, however, need wonder no more. Just a few hours ago, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that, beginning May 19, New York will adopt the CDC’s “Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People” for most business and public settings. To implement the CDC’s guidance, New York State will be revising the following business reopening guidelines to take effect on May 19:Continue Reading BREAKING: New York adopts CDC’s loosened mask and social distancing guidance