The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is expected to vote Thursday on whether to bring the state's workplace safety rules in line with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Gov. Gavin Newsom's relaxation of mask guidance.
"It really does come down to Cal/OSHA," Los Angeles County's 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger said.
Though it seems unlikely, she would like the health board to leave mask rules up to individual businesses. "If a business feels safer for their employees and they would ask that you wear a mask, that's their choice," she said.
Thursday's vote follows a series of back-and-forth decisions over workplace rules for California.
In the first week of June, a Cal/OSHA panel voted in favor of a proposal that would continue mask mandates if even a single employee was not vaccinated.
Shortly after the health board's decision, State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón sent a letter to the board saying as much. He emphasized that the state planned to drop its mask mandate for many public settings.
"As of June 15, face coverings will no longer be required for fully vaccinated Californians in public settings, except in the settings where CDC advises that all individuals should wear face coverings regardless of vaccination status, such as healthcare settings and long-term care facilities, public transit, and sheltering operations," Aragón said.
Dr. Aragón's letter prompted a "special meeting" of the health board.
The vote over requiring masks in the presence of one unvaccinated employee was never implemented.
State officials hope the board will vote in favor of aligning California workplace standards with the looser guidance of the CDC.
The governor's office "is hopeful the Board will further revise its guidance to reflect the latest science while continuing to protect workers and balancing realistic and enforceable requirements for employers," according to a statement from Gov. Newsom's press office.
