Biden Administration Is Withdrawing OSHA COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced Tuesday it will formally withdraw its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private businesses with 100 or more employees on Wednesday. The agency issued an announcement in the Federal Register that it will withdraw its rule, known as an emergency temporary standard (ETS), which required companies to make employees either get a COVID-19 vaccine or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing while wearing masks in the workplace. It comes after the Supreme Court on Jan. 13 issued a 6–3 opinion blocking the rule, saying that challengers to the order, including large trucking companies, were likely to prevail in court. Published Tuesday (pdf), OSHA said that “this agency action becomes effective immediately both because there is good cause and because the action removes a requirement on the regulated community.” “Notwithstanding the withdrawal of the Vaccination and Testing ETS, OSHA continues to strongly encourage the vaccination of workers against …  » Read full article