The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Jan. 13 that it has suspended its efforts to set a final COVID-19 safety standard to protect health care workers. The agency said it was suspending its efforts due to the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, adding that any ongoing risk of COVID-19 to which health care workers are exposed is under an OSHA rulemaking effort , which affects infectious diseases more broadly, can be better addressed.
The AHA previously urged OSHA not to finalize the rule because it was unnecessary and would cause confusion.