The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force issued updated guidance this week concerning COVID-19 symptom screening and travel for federal employees and contractors.

Earlier this week, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force released new guidance urging agencies to ease some COVID-19 protocols by August 22.

Earlier this month, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) issued an update to its initial report first issued in September 2021 with five additional findings.

The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force updated guidelines last week that outline policies for travel, leave, and mask-wearing, among other COVID-19 related issues.

Last week, a federal judge ordered that the Biden Administration maintain pandemic-related restrictions outlined in the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) public health directive Title 42.

Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced last week legislation to ensure the administration has a comprehensive plan in place before lifting Title 42.

COVID-19 ushered in a shift from physical events to the rapidly evolving digital environment. This week on FEDtalk, we remenise to the period of grasping at straws and the future of virtual events.

In a letter last week, five federal employee unions called on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to better inform its employees about COVID-19 benefits and rights.

COVID-19 technical assistance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) now includes a new section clarifying when COVID-19 may qualify as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act.

A coalition of associations representing government managers wrote a letter to the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force expressing concern over a lack of proper guidance and clear-cut lines of communication for implementing COVID-19 testing and vaccination requirements.

Agencies are to allow employees up to 4 hours of administrative leave to get a COVID-19 vaccination, and up to 2 days of administrative leave following a dose resulting in an adverse reaction, according to the latest guidance from the White House Safer Federal Workforce Task Force released on August 25.

According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated August 18, 2021, Hunter VanPelt, aka Ellen Corkrum, 49, pleaded guilty to perpetrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $7.9 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated August 17, 2021, a licensed Chicago pharmacist was arrested for allegedly selling dozens of authentic Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination cards on eBay.

The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, launched by President Biden to guide federal agencies on safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced in updated guidance that agencies need to ask about the vaccination status of federal workers, who could face consequences for providing false information but may decline to answer.

On Thursday afternoon, the Biden administration announced a requirement that all federal employees and contractors show proof of vaccination or submit to regular COVID-19 tests, wear masks, and physically distance from others while at work.

Today, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued guidance to agencies on COVID-19 Emergency Paid Leave, which was authorized in March when Congress approved the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

All federal employee official travel, including for those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, remains limited to travel that is mission critical, according to recently updated Safer Federal Workforce Task Force guidance.

A Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated March 26, 2021 announced an update on DOJ’s efforts to combat crimes related to COVID-19 relief fraud, such as illegal schemes surrounding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs.

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that expands benefits for the federal workforce and Americans.

President Biden has issued many executive actions within his first week in office. Several of these actions relate directly to criminal justice reform and immigration policy.