The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) blocked rules mandating “large” employers, including all Maryland counties, to require COVID-19 vaccinations and/or testing for all staff were unconstitutional.

The January 13 decision throws out emergency temporary standards (ETS) issued by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in November to require employers with 100 or more employees — including all Maryland counties — to develop, implement and enforce a COVID-19 vaccination-or-testing policy.

The rules were set to go into effect in December, but had been halted on November 6, when the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit  ruled in favor of a legal challenge to them. They ultimately went before SCOTUS last week for oral arguments.