Biden Administration sets Jan. 4 vaccine mandate for 84 million public & private employees
PHOTO/Matt Wright
First responders receive the COVID vaccine at the Worcester Senior Center in January.
The President Joe Biden Administration on Thursday announced a Jan. 4 deadline for all employees of federal contractors, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and employers with 100 or more workers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The new policy will cover two-thirds of all workers, or 84 million employees, in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced the details of the requirement for employers with 100 or more employees. Under OSHA’s emergency temporary standard, unvaccinated employees will be required to wear a face mask in the workplace and get tested for COVID-19 weekly.
Employers must provide paid time off for employees to get vaccinated and will be required to determine vaccination status of each employee by obtaining proof of vaccination.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is announcing the details of its requirement for healthcare workers and Medicare and Medicaid facilities, which will apply to more than 17 million workers, according to the White House’s announcement.
“Both OSHA and CMS are making clear that their new rules preempt any inconsistent state or local laws, including laws that ban or limit an employer’s authority to require vaccination, masks, or testing,” the White House announcement said.
The Biden Administration previously implemented vaccine mandates for federal employees, but said it will make the deadline the same for federal workers, healthcare workers, and workers affected by the OSHA policy.
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