California’s latest COVID workplace safety rule is coming: No masks for the fully vaccinated

Fully vaccinated California workers won’t have to wear masks at work, according to the latest update to the state’s COVID workplace safety rule released Friday.

Those workers, as well as those who are not vaccinated, will also not have to practice social distancing.

Masks will be required for those not fully vaccinated when working indoors or in vehicles. The rule also recommends masks for those not fully vaccinated if they work outdoors and can’t maintain physical distancing.

Workers can request masks from employers at no cost and wear them at work regardless of vaccination status, according to the rule.

Employers are also required to provide respirators such as N95 masks for unvaccinated workers who want them when they are working indoors or in vehicles with more than one person.

Masks or social distancing measures will be required for employers dealing with outbreaks at their workplaces.

The rule will be voted on by the standards board of the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, commonly called Cal-OSHA, at its June 17 meeting. However, because of the administrative process, the rule can’t go into effect until June 28, nearly two weeks after California will lift most of its restrictions.

The update doesn’t make clear how the board plans to address the gap between June 15 and 28, but Gov. Gavin Newsom said it will be “addressed properly.”

“I’m very mindful of the gap,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said at an event announcing the winners of the vaccine lottery earlier Friday.

The updated rule marks the latest turn in a period of confusion for the Cal-OSHA board. The board last week approved a proposal requiring fully vaccinated workers as long as anyone in the workplace was not vaccinated. It then withdrew the rule, which drew outrage from the business community, at an emergency meeting Wednesday.

Although Newsom declined to issue an executive order to override the board’s act, he made his stance clear Friday, saying he hoped and expected the Cal-OSHA board to align its rule with federal and state guidance that allow for those fully vaccinated to not wear masks indoors and outdoors.

The federal OSHA also released guidance Thursday, saying “most employers no longer need to take steps to protect their fully vaccinated workers who are not otherwise at-risk from COVID-19 exposure.”

Newsom earlier Friday hinted that he could issue an executive order if the Cal-OSHA board doesn’t update its rule to align with the federal and state guidance.

“You know where we are going,” Newsom said.