On April 10, Trump’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) changed its COVID-19 reporting requirements to include only those in the healthcare industry. The loosening of requirements are not to apply if:

(1) There is objective evidence that a COVID-19 case may be work-related; and (2) the evidence was reasonably available to the employer.”

The OSHA statement explains that this is to allow employers to focus on prevention rather than making “difficult work-related decisions” amid community transmission:

This enforcement policy will help employers focus their response efforts on implementing good hygiene practices in their workplaces, and otherwise mitigating COVID-19’s effects, rather than on making difficult work-relatedness decisions in circumstances where there is community transmission.

David Michaels, epidemiologist and public health professor at The George Washington University who served as head of OSHA between 2009 and 2017, shared his disbelief on Twitter.

Jordan Barab, former OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary between 2009 and 2017, also criticized the decision. Barab noted that the eased restrictions removes responsibility from employers on determining and managing COVID-19 infections, potentially jeopardizing worker’s compensation claims.

On the day of the announcement, the United States had a total of over 500,000 cases and 18,000 deaths.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration – Enforcement Guidance for Recording Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
USA Today – ‘Shocking and disheartening’: OSHA faces criticism for failing to protect workers amid the coronavirus
Wikipedia – David Michaels (epidemiologist)
LinkedIn – Jordan Barab 
Wikipedia – Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States