IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO ~~~
In Re:
FURTHER ORDER REGARDING
COURT OPERATIONS UNDER THE GENERAL ORDER 22-02
ONGOING EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES
CREATED BY COVID-19
In accordance with the recommendation of the Court's Ad Hoc Committee on Gating
Criteria, as approved by the Court's Executive Pandemic Team, and as approved by the Judges of
this District on January 14, 2022, it is hereby ORDERED that Amended General Order 21-20 is
superseded to the extent set forth below:
(1) Provisions 1 and 4 of Amended General Order 21-20 are retained and modified as
follows: All visitors to each of the three Courthouses in the Southern District of
Ohio (including but not limited to jurors or potential jurors, contractors,
Naturalization petitioners, and attorneys) and employees, irrespective of
vaccination status, are required to wear facial coverings (i.e., face masks) to gain
admittance to the Courthouses and must wear said facial coverings in all areas of
the Courthouses unless exempted for a medical or religious reason by a Judicial
Officer or a Court Unit Executive, with the exception of solitary office settings.
(2) Provision 2 of Amended General Order 21-20 is retained and restated as follows:
All Court employees and externs will be required to advise Human Resources of
their vaccination status — by a date certain to be communicated to said employees
and externs — by submitting their COVID-19 vaccination status attestation form
(supplied by the Court) to Human Resources, unless an exemption has been granted
by the Chief Judge on medical or religious grounds. This vaccination policy will
also apply to judiciary contractors, including Court Security Officers ("CSOs").
The CSOs will be required to follow local United States Marshals Service policy
for collecting and maintaining the attestation forms and for requesting exemptions
on medical or religious grounds.
(3) Provision 3 of Amended General Order 21-20, concerning twice-weekly testing for
unvaccinated employees, is discontinued. The Court will reserve its supply of
antigen tests for use by employees who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19.
(4) Jury trials are suspended during the month of January 2022, unless the presiding
Judicial Officer determines that the case should proceed in the interests of justice.
(5) Grand jury proceedings will continue at the discretion of the United States
Attorney.
(6) Judicial Officers in each seat of Court have discretion to determine whether
Naturalization proceedings should continue in their respective seat of Court.
This Order shall remain in full force and effect until further notice.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
DATED: January 14, 2022
ALGEN ~ L. MA
CHIEF ► TED STATES DISTRICT JUD
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