FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media Relations, 202-777-3913
Statement from APHA Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD
All workers should be protected against COVID-19. We strongly support the new rule from the U.S Occupational Safety and Health Administration that requires companies with 100 or more employees to ensure:
- their employees are vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4; or
- their employees test negative for COVID-19 at least once a week; and
- all unvaccinated employees wear face coverings on the job.
As our nation and the world continue to battle this pandemic that has underscored longstanding health disparities and a history of inadequate public health funding, we must do all we can to protect each other. APHA stands behind the administration and the entire public health community in applying proven infection control and prevention measures and fighting a consistent and distressing wave of distrust and disinformation. This proposal is business friendly and will help stimulate our economy by ensuring the safety of workers and their families. We urge everyone to get vaccinated and continue to follow the science when it comes to our collective health.
Together, we will emerge from this pandemic with a trove of lessons learned about how public health is all of us.
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The American Public Health Association champions the health of all people and all communities. We are the only organization that combines a 150-year perspective, a broad-based member community and the ability to influence federal policy to improve the public’s health. Learn more at www.apha.org.