New federal COVID-19 safety rules exempt most employers

NEW YORK (AP) — The Biden administration has exempted most employers from long-awaited rules for protecting workers from the coronavirus.

The move has angered labor advocates who had spent more than a year lobbying for the protections.

The Labor Department included only health care workers in its new emergency temporary standard.

The rules require employers to draw up a virus protection plan, and tighten requirements for recording and reporting COVID-19 cases among workers.

They also require employers to provide workers with paid time off for COVID-19-related absences, including getting vaccinated and recovering from side effects.