CDC Updates Guidance on Mask Wearing for Fully Vaccinated People
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidance on Thursday, May 13, that recommends that fully vaccinated individuals can stop wearing masks in most non-healthcare settings. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has said it would update its recommendations to reflect the CDC’s new guidance and to refer to the CDC guidance for information on measures appropriate to protect fully vaccinated workers in the meantime.
The CDC’s Updated Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations in Response to COVID-19 Vaccination were last updated on April 27, and the CDC’s COVID-19 Guidance for Dental Settings is current as of December 4, 2020.
A potential future complication is OSHA’s pending Covid-19 emergency temporary standard, which is still under review at the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The review office is holding stakeholder meetings on the pending rule through May 26, which will likely delay its ultimate publication in the federal register.
Currently, there is no federal regulation that requires employers to take steps to safeguard workers against the airborne spread of pathogens. For COVID-19, OSHA now relies on the general duty clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which requires employers to provide workplaces free of known, fatal hazards that can be mitigated.
Impact on General Dentistry: AGD plans to respond to the OSHA COVID-19 ETS pending review of the regulation’s final provisions and requirements. Dentistry has a strong record of robust infection control practices, and a recent survey reported that 99.7% of dental practices had implemented enhanced infection control procedures in response to COVID-19. AGD does not support onerous “one-size-fits-all” regulations that do not consider the unique circumstances associated with providing dental care. AGD encourages members to consider CDC guidance in conjunction with any state or local regulations that may apply to their practices.
The CDC’s Updated Healthcare Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations in Response to COVID-19 Vaccination were last updated on April 27, and the CDC’s COVID-19 Guidance for Dental Settings is current as of December 4, 2020.
A potential future complication is OSHA’s pending Covid-19 emergency temporary standard, which is still under review at the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The review office is holding stakeholder meetings on the pending rule through May 26, which will likely delay its ultimate publication in the federal register.
Currently, there is no federal regulation that requires employers to take steps to safeguard workers against the airborne spread of pathogens. For COVID-19, OSHA now relies on the general duty clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which requires employers to provide workplaces free of known, fatal hazards that can be mitigated.
Impact on General Dentistry: AGD plans to respond to the OSHA COVID-19 ETS pending review of the regulation’s final provisions and requirements. Dentistry has a strong record of robust infection control practices, and a recent survey reported that 99.7% of dental practices had implemented enhanced infection control procedures in response to COVID-19. AGD does not support onerous “one-size-fits-all” regulations that do not consider the unique circumstances associated with providing dental care. AGD encourages members to consider CDC guidance in conjunction with any state or local regulations that may apply to their practices.