Coronavirus: Resources and Rapid Response Task Force

On September 6, 2021, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the commissioner of health designated COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health under New York State’s HERO Act.

The mandatory airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plan (IDEPP), which all employers in New York should have adopted in August 2021, did not have much time to collect dust on the shelf.

Read the full alert here.

On March 7, 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo used his executive powers to announce Executive Order 202, placing New York under a State of Emergency based on the COVID-19 pandemic. The order was extended and was scheduled to expire on July 5, 2021. However, based on vaccination and statistical rates, the governor lifted the State of Emergency for New York on June 24, 2021.

The New York Workers’ Compensation Board provided guidance during this period of time (March 7, 2020 forward) on COVID-19 procedures. On June 29, 2021, they issued notification of certain changes in light of the declaration of the end of the State of Emergency. These are provided on the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board website under COVID-19 updates.

A further update was sent by the Board on August 13, 2021 providing additional details on the issue of Labor Market Attachment. The Board specifically referenced Workforce 1, a job placement agency generally located in the New York City area.

Read the full alert here.

On Friday, August 27, 2021, the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) issued a report produced by its Emergency Task Force on Mandatory Vaccination and Safeguarding the Public’s Health. The Task Force was commissioned to examine legal and policy issues associated with vaccination mandates and to make policy recommendations that prioritize safeguarding the public’s health as the highly transmissible COVID-19 Delta variant continues to spread. The Task Force is comprised of legal experts in health care, employment law, and public policy to make recommendations regarding vaccination policy within New York State.

Read the full alert here.

Attorneys and professionals across our footprint spend each day advising clients in a variety of industries on evolving legal and regulatory matters related to the coronavirus pandemic. These attorneys—comprising our national Coronavirus Rapid Response Task Force—collaboratively advise clients on the most critical questions that face them today, from employment and labor matters to fast-evolving regulatory concerns and unanticipated liability claims and business litigation.

Click here to learn more and access our team roster.

Our Coronavirus Employment and Labor Rapid Response Team exists to handle all of the most pressing issues facing employers in the unprecedented business environment created by the coronavirus pandemic. Led by senior attorneys from our Employment and Labor practice, this group provides daily counsel to a diverse client community on issues including workplace safety, changes to employment policies, interpretation of new state and federal laws and guidance, labor issues, layoffs and staff reductions, the defense of employment-related claims, and strategic communications to internal and external stakeholders.

Click here to learn more and access our team roster.

Goldberg Segalla’s Global Insurance Services practice—home to one of the largest collection of senior insurance coverage attorneys in the nation—serves multiple leading insurers on national and regional coronavirus coverage panels. Our dedicated Coronavirus Coverage Team includes many senior coverage partners across our national footprint, allowing us to coordinate and ensure consistency in our approach to coronavirus claims, while avoiding taking any position in one claim or in one jurisdiction that could disadvantage a client in another.

Click here to learn more and access our team roster.

Goldberg Segalla has been on the forefront of the evolving coronavirus global health crisis, advising our clients through alerts and presentations as well as the broader legal, insurance, and business communities through publications in major outlets.

Click here for our latest news, analysis, and educational materials.