OSHA’S Vaccine and Testing Standards for Employers

Businesses with 100 employees or more must comply with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). To meet the requirements of the ETS, employers must either:

  1. Establish a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, OR
  2. Adopt a policy requiring employees to get vaccinated or have them get regular COVID-19 testing and wear a face covering at work instead of getting vaccinated.

As a trusted voice in the business community, please share this information with as many employers as possible to help them understand and meet this federal requirement.

Federal Guidance

On Dec. 18, 2021, OSHA released new guidance for the ETS after the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the stay on the standard.

OSHA will not enforce any requirements under the ETS until Jan. 10, 2022. Additionally, the agency will not issue citations for noncompliance with the standard’s testing requirements before Feb. 9, 2022, so long as an employer is exercising responsible, good faith efforts to meet the standard. Federal guidance states that employers can mandate vaccinations for staff. To support vaccinations, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH) will continue to oversee a Commonwealth-wide vaccination program, and employers are invited to refer any staff seeking vaccination to one of the hundreds of Pennsylvania clinics providing vaccines.

Readiness Guide for Pennsylvania Employers

The Pennsylvania Department of Health has prepared a Readiness Guide for Pennsylvania Employers about the OSHA ETS. In the guide you will find detailed information about:

  • Vaccinating employees
  • Testing employees
  • Support from the PA Department of Health
  • List of U.S. employers with vaccine mandates
  • Information on differences in NAAT and Antigen Tests

Questions?

If you have questions related to the OSHA ETS on COVID-19 vaccination and testing, visit the OSHA website or reference the Frequently Asked Questions.

The Wright Center Offering Holiday Pictures with Santa Claus and COVID-19 Vaccinations

The Wright Center for Community Health is combining holiday tradition and spirit with an important public health initiative in December to ensure every family member in Northeast Pennsylvania can safely celebrate the joyous holiday season.

“Pictures with Santa,” will enable children of all ages to carefully recite their wish list to the jolly old elf, as parents snap pictures of the treasured moment and participate in one of the vaccine clinics. The Wright Center will be offering the pediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children, ages 5-11, with their parent’s permission, and vaccines for adults.

The holiday-themed events will be available free to the public at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Scranton Practice, 501 S. Washington Ave., Scranton, on Friday Dec. 3 from 2-5:30 p.m., and Mid Valley Practice, 5 S. Washington Ave., Jermyn, on Sunday, Dec. 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The pediatric Pfizer vaccine will be available at both vaccination clinics. The Moderna vaccine will be administered at the Scranton Practice and the Mid Valley Practice will have the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for people who are 12 and older.

To schedule a vaccine appointment at the Scranton or Mid Valley practices, please go to TheWrightCenter.org and click on the “make an appointment” link at the top, center of the page and follow the directions.

The vaccine clinic will be available simultaneously at both locations during “Pictures with Santa.” Parents can choose to have their children vaccinated before visiting Santa or after the annual tradition. The special event enables children and their families to participate in the holiday festivities in a safe and socially-distanced manner and meet Santa for a picture. Guests are invited to capture the special moments with their personal cameras.

COVID-19 masking will be required for everyone who participates in the event.

“Vaccination is the best tool to keep ourselves and our children safe from COVID-19,” said Geraldine McAndrew, the director of Patient & Community Engagement “We carry our mission directly into the communities we serve, and hope to take the opportunity to encourage children and families to get vaccinated.”

To reserve a time for a photo with Santa, please call McAndrew at 570-267-4199 or email her at McAndrewG@TheWrightCenter.org.

Geisinger Administers 300,000th COVID-19 Vaccine, COVID-19 Hospitalizations Drop Below 40 Patients

Walk-in and by-appointment vaccines remain available

Geisinger has reached another milestone as we work to move past the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, Geisinger administered its 300,000th COVID-19 vaccine dose and has seen COVID-19 hospitalizations decline to their lowest levels in months.

As of Monday, Geisinger has administered 301,306 COVID-19 vaccine doses and had 37 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The 37 hospitalizations are the lowest since September 28 when 40 patients were hospitalized, but still higher than mid-June of last year, when COVID-19 hospitalization rates were in the low 20s.

Geisinger continues its vaccination efforts by offering walk-in and by-appointment COVID-19 vaccines. Walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations will be available this week:

  • Wednesday, June 16, at the Geisinger Lewistown Hospital Vaccine Center, 400 Highland Ave. Ext., Lewistown, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Thursday, June 17, at the Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital Vaccine Center, 116 Kerr Ave., Jersey Shore, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Friday, June 18, at the Geisinger CenterPoint Vaccine Center, 300 Keystone Ave., Pittston, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Friday, June 18, at the Geisinger Hughes Center Vaccine Center, 9 Stearns Lane, Danville, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Geisinger is offering the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at all locations, which is a two-dose vaccine administered 21 days apart. Vaccines are available to anyone age 12 and over, but those under 18 years old must have a parent or legal guardian with them during vaccination. If needed, pediatricians will be on hand to answer questions and to assist with the vaccinations.

To check on additional walk-in vaccine days and times, and for more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit geisinger.org/COVIDVax. Vaccine appointments can be made through myGeisinger or by calling 570-284-3657.

COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Tomorrow, April 20

Lackawanna County is holding a COVID-19 vaccine clinic tomorrow, April 20, at Montage Mountain from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sign up below.

UPDATE as of 8:00 p.m. 4/19/21 –
No appointment necessary. Clinic is first come, first served.

Process information:

  • After completing this form, you will be added to our waiting list.
    • Please note, select “Medicap Olyphant” as the pharmacy location on the form, even though this clinic will be at Montage Mountain. Directions and more information will be provided upon confirmation.
  • The system will automatically send invitations (via text) to the phone number provided.
  • You can then select an appointment time that works best for you.
  • A phone that can receive texts, as well as internet service, will be required to confirm an appointment.
  • For HIPAA compliance, patients will need to enter the birth date provided on the form to access the scheduling.

You may also call 211 to sign up via the phone.

SIGN UP

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

The Pennsylvania Department of Health recently announced two additional categories of eligible individuals to receive the COVID-19 vaccination as part of Phase 1A. Beginning January 19, all individuals 65 and older, and individuals ages 16-64 with certain medical conditions, as defined by the CDC that increase the risk of severe illness from the virus, are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination. The Departments’ Updated Interim Vaccine Plan can be found here.

Those conditions are outlined by the CDC here and include: cancer; chronic kidney disease; COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease); heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies; immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant, blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, or use of other immune weakening medicines; obesity; severe obesity; pregnancy; sickle cell disease; smoking; and type 2 diabetes mellitus. 

If you are part of a group that is eligible for vaccination, you can use the Pennsylvania Vaccine Provider Map to find a place to schedule your vaccine. Contact the vaccine provider of your choice directly to schedule an appointment. This map will be updated as more locations receive vaccine. Although a provider may have received vaccine, there is no guarantee that they have open appointments as supply is still very limited. Check back frequently as the map will be updated multiple times per week.  We’ll be releasing additional information later today, including an FAQ, with more detailed information on how individuals can find a provider to schedule a vaccination. Thank you for your partnership and for all you are doing to serve Pennsylvania.