WASHINGTON — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is scrapping its vaccine mandate for large employers, two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the requirement from taking effect.
The Biden administration issued the mandate in November. It would have applied to employers with more than 100 employees, requiring them to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing and wear a mask.
"Although OSHA is withdrawing the vaccination and testing ETS (emergency temporary standard) as an enforceable emergency temporary standard, the agency is not withdrawing the ETS as a proposed rule. The agency is prioritizing its resources to focus on finalizing a permanent COVID-19 Healthcare Standard," the agency wrote in a statement Jan. 25. "OSHA strongly encourages vaccination of workers against the continuing dangers posed by COVID-19 in the workplace."
The withdraw is set to be published in the Federal Register Jan. 26.
