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Oregon waiting on feds for vaccine worker mandate rules

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Recently President Biden announced that any company with more than 100 employees will have to require vaccines for their workers or require they provide a negative test weekly. Large entertainment venues will need to require vaccines or negative tests for its patrons.

But enforcement will need to be done at the local level. And the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be deeply involved.

“Generally speaking, when a federal OSHA rule is implemented, states like Oregon, which have their own OSHA programs, then consider a state rule that has to be at least as effective as the federal version,” Oregon officials told KOIN 6 News.

They added whatever they do in Oregon will apply to both the public and private sectors.

The Oregon Health Authority said that since the federal OSHA has not created rules for enforcing this, they really have no guidance to go from.

For those who are already required to be vaccinated, like teachers, testing could be an option from employers for workers with a medical or religious exemption. But under OHA’s rules, testing instead of vaccination is not an option.