Biden and mandates to get vaccinated: "It is a battle that must be won," says expert 2:54
(CNN) -
The Federal Register will publish in the coming days the Department of Labor rule that forces private companies with 100 or more employees to require their vaccination or submit them to weekly tests, thus fulfilling an announcement that President Joe Biden made. in September.
The Office of Administration and Budget completed the mandatory review of the emergency rule on Monday.
"On November 1, the Office of Management and Budget completed its regulatory review of the temporary emergency rule. The Federal Register will publish the temporary emergency rule in the coming days," a Labor Department spokesman said.
"The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been working without delay to develop a temporary emergency rule that covers employers with 100 or more employees, at the company or company level, and provides options for compliance."
Vaccination offers greater protection against covid-19 than infection, according to a CDC study
The spokesperson added: "Employers must develop, implement and enforce a mandatory vaccination policy against COVID-19, unless they adopt a policy requiring employees to choose between getting vaccinated or undergoing regular COVID-19 testing and wearing a mask at work. "
The temporary emergency rule also requires employers to provide paid time for workers to get vaccinated and paid sick leave to recover from any side effects. "
In September, Biden announced that the Department of Labor would draft an emergency rule that would force private companies with 100 or more employees to require weekly vaccination or testing.
New vaccination mandates could apply to 100 million Americans
The new requirements could apply to up to 100 million Americans, which is about two-thirds of the US workforce.
The announcement was Biden's biggest push yet to mandate mandatory vaccination for much of the country.
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The new temporary emergency rule will require large companies to give their workers paid time off to get vaccinated.
If companies fail to comply, the government "will take steps to enforce the rule," which could include "substantial fines" of up to nearly $ 14,000 per violation, according to officials.
Officials have said the standard was a "minimum" and that some companies may choose to go further, even requiring that workers be vaccinated, rather than offering an alternative to regular testing.
At the time, Biden also signed a decree requiring all government employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, without the option to undergo periodic testing to choose not to do so.
The president signed an accompanying order requiring the same rule to apply to employees of contractors doing business with the federal government.
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About 22% of the eligible U.S. population has not been vaccinated against COVID-19, and the president has repeatedly urged them to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their loved ones, and help the nation recover from the pandemic. .
More than 191 million people, or 58% of the total US population, are fully vaccinated.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the emergency use of Pfizer's covid-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 on Friday, which could pave the way. way for millions of Americans to get vaccinated, pending CDC approval.
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