Employer alert: CDC updates mask and quarantine guidelines
1/3/22
By: Diandra Franks and R. Victoria Fuller On December 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) once again updated its mask and quarantine guidelines. In this most recent update, the CDC shortened its recommended isolation and quarantine periods for the general public. These new guidelines, however, do not apply to healthcare workers, for whom the CDC has issued separate updated…
6/18/20
By: Anastasia Osbrink According to forecasters with the Climate Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”), a division of the National Weather Service, the 2020 hurricane season has a 60% chance of being an “above-normal season.” (See https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/busy-atlantic-hurricane-season-predicted-for-2020.) This forecast is based on several factors. According to the NOAA, there are “warmer-than-average…
Immunity for COVID-19 Claims in Georgia
6/16/20
By: Jake Daly Following a three-month layoff due to COVID-19, the Georgia General Assembly reconvened on June 15 to complete its business for the 2020 session. With only ten legislative days remaining as of June 15, 2020, there is limited time to deal with new and old priorities. One of the new priorities is a bill providing…
OSHA Issues Updated Guidance On When Employers Must Record COVID-19 Cases
6/8/20
By: Elizabeth Fellmeth In OSHA’s original guidance from April 2020, the agency acknowledged the difficulty in determining whether a COVID-19 case was “work-related” due to possible employee infections from outside the workplace. Most employers did not have a reporting obligation unless the employer had “objective evidence” that the COVID-19 case was work-related. Under the new…
COVID-19 in Jails: A Case Study
5/22/20
By: Wes Jackson By now we are all familiar with the CDC’s recommendations for limiting the spread of COVID-19: “social distancing,” maintaining a distance of six feet from others as much as possible, avoiding large gatherings, and self-isolation if you exhibit symptoms of the disease or test positive, among others. As challenging as these practices…
FINRA In-Person Hearings Further Postponed Until July 31
5/20/20
By: Kathleen Cusack and Kirsten Patzer On Friday, May 15, 2020, amidst continued concern over the potential spread of COVID-19, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) postponed all in-person arbitration and mediation proceedings until July 31, 2020. FINRA initially postponed in-person meetings beginning in March and extended the suspension several times. In its most recent…
Boston Implements New COVID-19 Safety Procedures for Construction Sites
5/13/20
By: Catherine Bednar On May 5, 2020, the City of Boston activated new COVID-19 safety procedures for active construction sites, which are currently limited to projects meeting the City’s definition of emergency or essential work. The City also targeted dates for expanding the categories of permitted construction activity in the City to more closely match…
Massachusetts Enacts Legislation Authorizing Virtual Notarization During COVID-19 State of Emergency
4/30/20
By: Jennifer Markowski On April 27, 2020, Governor Baker signed into law An Act Providing for Virtual Notarization to Address Challenges Related to COVID-19 (the “Virtual Notarization Act” or the “Act”). In doing so, Massachusetts joins a number of other states, including Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire and Georgia (among…
CARES Section 18006 Encourages Schools to Retain Staff to the “Greatest Extent Practicable”
4/27/20
By: Tia Combs As many schools around the country make the final decision to remain closed for the school year, it may be tempting to cut back on staff to save money for what is predicted to be a historic budget shortfall next year. However, the wisdom of that move may be lost when districts…
Insurer seeks declaration that COVID-19 claims for closure-related losses are not covered
4/27/20
By Barry Miller Travelers Insurance Company wants a federal court to declare it has no duty to pay business income loss to a California law firm which claims that COVID-19 closures have caused it to lose revenue. The ABA Journal reports that Travelers is seeking a declaratory judgment in the Central District of California. The…
Governor Kemp Issues Executive Order Reopening Certain Businesses in Georgia
4/22/20
By: Andrew Kim On April 20, 2020, Governor Kemp signed an Executive Order that will impact certain businesses in Georgia. The new Executive Order reopens some businesses previously closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic and removes certain restrictions for other types of businesses as well. Here are some key provisions: Health-Related Practices and Services Not…
Stay at Home Orders Under Attack – What are the Limits and Rights of State Governments?
4/22/20
By: Marc Finkel Faced with the uncertainty of navigating through a global pandemic, governors throughout the United States have issued a series of executive orders aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus. Many of these executive orders have placed restrictions on our daily lives from the closure of schools to the closure of…