US labor department officials on Thursday announced a temporary emergency standard to protect healthcare workers, saying they face “grave danger” in the workplace from the coronavirus pandemic. The government’s statement of reasons for the new rules cites the work of KHN and the Guardian in tallying more than 3,600 healthcare worker Covid deaths through 8 April. It also found that healthcare employers were often remiss in notifying workers about exposure to the coronavirus on the job. The rules require workers to wear N95 or reusable respirators when in contact with people with either suspected or confirmed Covid. They strengthen employer record-keeping requirements, saying employers must document all worker Covid cases (regardless of whether they were deemed work-related) and report work-related deaths even if they occur more than 30 days after exposure.

Source: The Guardian June 11, 2021 09:56 UTC