Renewal of Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
On July 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) issued a Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists extending the federal COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) for another ninety (90) days effective July 20, 2021. The PHE has been in place since January…
Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines in Hospitals
On June 4, 2021, a federal judge denied a request for a temporary restraining order that would have blocked Houston Methodist Hospital (the “Hospital”) from requiring its employees to receive one of the currently-available COVID-19 vaccines. One hundred sixteen employees of the Hospital (the…
Taking Control of a Dispute by Filing a Declaratory Judgment and Setting the Stage for a Successful Appeal
For companies involved in an active dispute, filing a declaratory judgment often offers a way to take control of the situation. This strategy comes with significant advantages that not only help pave the way for successful litigation, but also have significant impacts for how an appellate attorney…
Expiration of Arkansas' Public Health Emergency
Since the COVID-19 public health emergency was initiated in Arkansas in March 2020, Governor Asa Hutchinson has repeatedly renewed the emergency order, maintaining the public health emergency for fourteen (14) months. However, Governor Hutchinson has declared that he will not renew the current…
Can an Employer Require its Employees to Get the Covid-19 Vaccine?
Yes, but there is a right and wrong way to go about it. And of course, there are exceptions. But more importantly, while an employer can institute such a requirement, the better question to ask might be—should they? More on that below. The Rule: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)…