Oregon Now Requires Face Coverings in Public and Private Offices

The Oregon Health Authority recently updated the state’s COVID-19 guidance to expand the use of face coverings to public and private offices. Under the new rule, masks, face coverings, or face shields are required at all times for office employees, including in hallways, bathrooms, elevators, lobbies, break rooms, and other common spaces, unless employees are at individual work spaces or in meeting rooms where six feet of distance from other people can be consistently maintained.

This guidance expands upon the face covering requirements we wrote about here, which applied to employees, visitors, and customers of specified covered businesses, such as grocery stores, retail businesses, and restaurants.

In addition, Oregon OSHA has released a draft of a temporary rule regarding employer obligations related to face coverings, social distancing, and sanitation in the workplace. You can read our post about that temporary rule here. OSHA is accepting comments on that rule through the end of August, with an anticipated effective date of September 14.