A Different Approach

On January 8, 2021, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) issued a revised COVID-19 Interim Vaccination Plan, which now includes “mortuary” workers among those currently eligible to receive the vaccine.

With COVID-19 cases “raging across Pennsylvania” to an all-time high and straining health care providers, Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine issued orders on December 10, 2020, which impose significant restrictions on activities to mitigate the impact of the virus over the next three weeks.

After much negotiation, and a few twists and turns, on Sunday, December 27, President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act (the Relief Act) into law. In addition to providing Congress with a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, the Relief Act provides nearly $900 billion in coronavirus-related aid that will be allocated among numerous designated programs.

With the advent of the COVID-19 vaccine, employers must wrestle immediately with the decision as to whether to mandate the COVID-19 vaccination. Employers may impose a vaccination requirement on employees subject to certain legally required exemptions. Specifically, exemptions to a mandatory vaccination policy include a refusal to be vaccinated based on a disability or medical condition, or a sincerely held religious belief.

With COVID-19 cases spreading across Pennsylvania to an all-time high and straining healthcare providers, Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine issued orders yesterday, December 10, which impose significant restrictions on activities to mitigate the impact of the virus over the next three weeks.