It is official–the NYS Commissioner of Health officially posted the extension of the designation of COVID-19 as a “highly contagious communicable disease that presents a serious risk of harm to the public health” through October 31, 2021.

The NYS Commissioner of Health originally issued the designation on September 6, 2021, prompting covered employers in New York State to activate their NY HERO Act airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plans. The initial designation was effective through September 30, 2021, at which time the NYS Commissioner of Health would review and consider whether the circumstances surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic warranted extension of the designation at that time. Accordingly, employers should continue to have their NY HERO Act plans in place.

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