Effective May 11, 2023 Oregon no longer requires healthcare workers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) made this announcement on May 10th “to align with the end of the federal public health emergency and elimination of other COVID-19-related control measures, and because there is no longer a significant public health need for this rule.” The federal government is also expected to lift the vaccination requirement for healthcare facilities covered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, otherwise known as the CMS Requirement.
Unrelated to the healthcare requirement, OHA also announced a change to the isolation rules. “A five-day period of isolation for those infected with COVID-19 also will no longer be recommended for the general population, including people in K-12 education settings [...] Instead, officials say, the recommendation for the general population will be to stay home until fever free for 24 hours and symptoms are improving; avoid contact with individuals at increased risk for severe disease, including older adults and those with underlying medical conditions; and consider masking for 10 days.”
Employers may still choose to have more strict isolation requirements, require masking or enforce other COVID-19 related safety protocols.
Cascade will continue to monitor this, and please reach out if you have any questions.