President Joe Biden on Thursday turned up the heat on his administration’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign with two measures aimed at getting workers inoculated.
Biden plans to announce a new rule by the Labor Department that will require all businesses with 100 or more employees to be vaccinated or submit to testing at least once a week.
In addition, the president signed an executive order requiring most federal workers and contractors to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, a tightening of the previous policy announced in July that called for vaccinations but allowed other options.
The new Labor Department standard would apply to more than 80 million Americans working in the private sector. The executive order affects employees working for the executive branch, about 90% of the federal workforce.
These are among the new steps to take control of the pandemic that Biden is set to announce Thursday afternoon, a source familiar with the plans told USA TODAY.
Some federal health workers, including those who work for the Veterans Department, are already required to get vaccinated. Members of the U.S. military also need to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
But civilian federal employees and contractors have only had to reveal their vaccination status and, if not inoculated, get tested regularly, socially distance, wear masks and be subject to restrictions on most work travel.
– Maureen Groppe and Courtney Subramanian
Also in the news:
►Chicago health officials defended the school system’s online database tracking infections after the teachers union raised questions Thursday about safety and transparency. The controversy comes amid ongoing negotiations over pandemic safety protocols.
►Connecticut College canceled in-person classes Wednesday and will conduct them remotely for at least a week after more than 50 students tested positive for COVID-19, the New London school said.
►Issues including demand for booster shots in developed nations mean Africa will get about 25% fewer vaccine doses this year than anticipated, the World Health Organization’s Africa director said. Less than 4% of people across the African continent have been fully vaccinated.
►Italian anti-terrorism police on Thursday raided the homes of eight people who allegedly advocated violence, particularly against journalists, in upcoming protests against the government’s COVID-19 vaccine requirements.
►The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 310,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The total is a pandemic low and a sign that the surge in coronavirus cases has yet to prompt widespread layoffs.
📈 Today’s numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 40.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 653,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 222.9 million cases and 4.6 million deaths. More…
Read More: Biden pushes for public, private sector workers to get vaccinated