FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2021

CONTACT: Brooke Armour
(916) 553-4093
[email protected]

SACRAMENTO—As part of its ongoing commitment to support the governor’s efforts to fully reopen the economy on June 15, the California Business Roundtable today submitted comments to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board asking them to reject the anti-science and confusing masking requirements for vaccinated employees included in the draft Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) readoption.

“By treating vaccinated employees to nearly the same standard as unvaccinated employees, the ETS effectively casts doubt on whether the COVID-19 vaccine makes a person safe from COVID and is effective at preventing infection. Moreover, since the ETS makes little distinction between a vaccinated and unvaccinated employee, it creates a disincentive for employees to get vaccinated. This is the wrong message to send to employees looking to re-enter the workforce,” wrote CBRT president Rob Lapsley.

The letter asks the Standards Board to follow the science and to immediately conform its regulations with state and federal guidelines on indoor mask wearing for vaccinated individuals.

“We support the governor’s reopening strategy, which acknowledges the critical role consistency and clarity are in fully reopening the economy by removing the Blueprint and creating a simpler set of guidelines moving forward. We hope that you will join Governor Newsom and the business community in supporting guidelines and regulations that promote economic activity and reinforce the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine by immediately aligning the ETS with the science,” Mr. Lapsley concluded.

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