The Occupational Health and Safety Administration of the United States said that it will not release citations linked to COVID-19 vaccination mandates before January 10, 2022, indicating its kick-off. The announcement, on Saturday, was made so that organisations would have time to adjust to the new rules.

The mandate was previously expected to be put into effect on January 4, 2022.

However, it further announced that no it would not release any such federal requirements for workers across the United States for testing anytime before February 9.

Also Read: Vaccinated employees in California face workplace restrictions

The mandate had received a go ahead from the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth District in Cincinnati earlier this week. The decision overturned a previous verdict, which was made after 27 Republican dominant states, conservative groups, business associations and some individual companies challenged the mandate.

The COVID vaccination mandates — announced earlier this year by the administration of United States President Joe Biden– require countries with 100 or more employees to impose requirements. The move includes nearly 84 million workers in the country.

While the exceptions in the vaccine mandate are limited, those who wish to opt-out of it will be subject to getting tested for the disease on a weekly basis and wearing face masks.

According to reports from Associated Press, officials estimate that nearly 250,000 hospitalisations and 6,500 deaths linked to COVID may be prevented in the United States after the mandate has been put in place.

Also Read: US vaccine mandate: What it means for firms and workers

OSHA said in a statement that it would not issue citations before the listed dates “so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard”, according to reports from Associated Press.

The news comes as United States, and the world, continues to experience a spike in COVID cases, which experts believe is linked to the Omicron variant.

(With AP inputs)