February 2022: New York Department of Health Extends NY HERO Act

Update Applicable to:
All employers in the state of New York

What happened?
In our previous communication, we informed you about the New York HERO Act that was extended from January 15, 2022 to February 15, 2022. This is an update to that article.

What are the details?

On February 15, 2022, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) extended its designation of COVID-19 once again through March 17, 2022.

This means that employers must continue implementing their respective Disease Exposure Prevention Plan under the HERO Act, including daily health screenings, among other requirements.  However, even with the designation in place, masking is no longer strictly required for most employers after the New York Department of Labor issued a revised model Disease Exposure Prevention Plan under the HERO Act.

On or before March 17, 2022, the NYSDOH Commissioner will review the level of transmission of COVID-19 in the state and determine whether to continue the designation. 

For more information, please see the links below:

New York Department of Health Press Release

NY HERO Act Website

NY HERO Act Disease Exposure Prevention Plan

Article 1 – Article 2 – Article 3

What do employers need to do?
Employers should review the links provided above and continue/reinstate their Disease Exposure Prevention Plan under the HERO Act until more updates from the NYSDOH are released.