COVID-19 Vaccine ETS Could Still Be ‘Weeks Away’

Employers — especially those with 100 or more employees — continue to await OSHA’s forthcoming emergency temporary standard (ETS) following President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccinate-or-test mandate.

But the ETS could take several more weeks to complete, according to some reports. Once released, the ETS can remain in place for six months. “After that, it must be replaced by a permanent OSHA standard, which must undergo a formal rulemaking process involving a typical notice-and-comment period,” according to OMA Connections Partner Fisher Phillips. (See this updated employer guidance on how best to prepare for the ETS.)

Meanwhile, fewer than 63% of Ohioans aged 12 or older have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Ohio’s new cases per 100,000 have jumped to nearly 700 — due largely to low vaccination rates among younger residents. In response, Gov. Mike DeWine has unveiled a new incentive program to encourage Ohioans ages 12-25 to get their shot. 9/23/2021