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The expansive rules mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly, affecting about 80 million Americans.
And the roughly 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid also will have to be fully vaccinated.
Biden is also signing an executive order to require vaccination for employees of the executive branch and contractors who do business with the federal government — with no option to test out.
In addition to the vaccination requirements, Biden moved to double federal fines for airline passengers who refuse to wear masks on flights or to maintain face covering requirements on federal property
The rule would also require that large companies provide paid time off for vaccination.
Biden’s order for executive branch workers and contractors includes exceptions for workers seeking religious or medical exemptions from vaccination,
Sweeping new vaccine mandates for 100 million Americans
President Joe Biden has announced sweeping new federal vaccine requirements affecting as many as 100 million Americans in an all-out effort to curb the surging COVID-19 delta variant.
apnews.com
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This is indeed, as my article claims, "Sweeping new vaccine mandates"!
I tried my best to capture the salient points in my quotes, above.
Biden's orders are broad, expansive, encompassing, and bold. I've been of two-minds on mandates, but am coming around to accept some mandates - as long as there's reasonable medical, religious, or testing exceptions.
It seems the private employment mandate allows for a 'testing' option, but the federal employment/contractor mandate does not! This last (no test option), causes me great concern.
I believe those who refuse to vaccinate, but are willing to take other reasonable measures like testing, masking, and social distancing - should have the opportunity to act in good faith without being forced to put a drug in their arm. At least at this point in time. I just can't quite get over my reticence to mandate an individual being forced to drug themselves, without allowing some other reasonable alternative to those willing to act in good faith.
In addition, I fear private employers may become emboldened by the federal 'no test vaccine mandate', believing the now have license to go to that extent with their private-citizen non-government employees. We've often seen administrative policy towards federal employees soon becomes adopted by private industry. As example, employee drug testing comes to mind - something I'm dead against.
Anyway, I usually don't get so personally opinionated in my MSN OP's - but as I said, I'm torn on this subject. We need to vaccinate & better address this Covid spread. We need to rake masks, sanitation, distance, and other mitigation more seriously. All, without doubt. And, that means most of us should get vaccinated. But man, I just can't cross the boundary to say 'vaccinate without any other recourse'.
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