United States President Joe Biden earlier this month released sweeping vaccine mandates covering federal employees in a bid to contain the surge in COVID-19 cases across the country. A new policy was later issued saying that contractors who do business with the federal government and health care workers at Medicare and Medicaid facilities must likewise be vaccinated.
Biden released such a plan to put pressure on 80 million more Americans who remain unvaccinated in hopes of combating the fast-spreading Delta variant.
Besides the latest update on the vaccine mandate by Biden, the Labor Department got an order saying that they should require all businesses with 100 or more employees to ensure that their workers are vaccinated or tested weekly. The Department of Health and Human Services must also require vaccinations in Head Start Programs and schools run by the Department of Defense and the Bureau of Indian Education. Lastly, a vaccine mandate is given to an individual applying to become a lawful permanent U.S. resident by Oct. 1.
What are the latest rules by the Biden administration?
The Biden administration is also pushing for entertainment venues like sports arenas and concert halls to require people to show proof of their vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to be given entry. Further, it plans to increase fines for not wearing masks on airplanes, buses, and trains.
The Biden administration’s plans also call state officials to make vaccination mandates for teachers and school staff. At least nine states are already imposing vaccination requirements for K-12 educators.
Private Companies That Issued Vaccine Mandates
Although the vaccine mandates only cover specific individuals, other companies took it upon themselves to require vaccination for their employees. These companies are Amtrak, Google, Lyft, McDonald’s, Microsoft, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Salesforce, Twitter, Tyson Foods, Uber, United Airlines, Walgreens, and Walmart. Active-duty service members in the military and police are also required to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.
Opposition On The Vaccine Mandates
The Biden administration’s vaccine mandates and other plans concerning this were met with criticism and opposition by Republican governors. The senior Republican on the House of Representatives committee overseeing health policy, Washington Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, said Biden uses fear, control, and mandates. Further, the Republican National Committee vowed they would sue the Biden administration regarding the vaccine mandates.
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