What happened?
On May 13, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated their COVID-19-related guidance for fully vaccinated individuals.

What are the details?
The CDC has updated their guidance stating that 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. Additionally, the guidance states that 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.

What do employers need to do?
Employers should recognize that the CDC’s guidance is advisory only. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Health Departments, and other local governments are the entities that create laws that determine what actions employers should take. Some states operate their own OSHA State Plans and employers in these states will need to remember that their state’s OSHA will determine the actions they should take, not the national OSHA. To see a map of the states with their own state plans, click here. Employers should continue to monitor their local governmental agencies for updates to workplace standards, ordinances, executive orders, and more.