AHLA: Vaccinated Hotel Employees No Longer Required to Wear Masks

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has released a statement on easing face covering and physical distancing requirements for hotel employees in response to updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidance.

The organization now supports vaccinated employees being given the choice on whether or not to continue wearing face coverings, in accordance with state and local laws. Chip Rogers, president and CEO at the AHLA attributes the change in policy to the industry’s ongoing commitment to encourage vaccinations as well as a recognition of employees who have received a vaccine.

“Above all, employee and guest safety remain our top priority,” said Rogers, in a statement. “Throughout the pandemic, hotels have met the challenge of the public health crisis through Safe Stay, an industry-wide set of health and safety protocols. Safe Stay will continue to evolve to align with the current environment and CDC and OSHA guidelines to keep travelers and hotel employees safe. Moving forward, the hotel industry’s health and safety protocols will continue to include enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols as well as innovative contactless technologies to support safe travel while improving the experience for guests and hotel employees.”