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WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new federal vaccine requirements affecting up to 100 million Americans in a total effort to increase COVID-19 vaccinations and curb the burgeoning delta variant that is killing off thousands of people every week and jeopardizes the country’s economic recovery.
The extended rules require all employers with more than 100 workers to require them to be vaccinated or tested for the virus every week, affecting an estimated 80 million Americans, many of them in the Northern Olympic Peninsula.
The approximately 17 million workers in healthcare facilities who receive federal Medicare or Medicaid will also need to be fully immunized.
Biden is also in the process of signing an executive order to require the vaccination of executive and contractor employees who do business with the federal government – with no ability to test. This covers several million additional workers.
Biden’s plans were presented Thursday afternoon by White House press secretary Jen Psaki and other senior administration officials ahead of the speech. He was due to announce the new requirements in a White House address as part of a new ‘action plan’ to deal with the latest increase in coronavirus cases and the stagnant pace of COVID-19 fire that has sparked doubts among the public about its management. of the pandemic.
Just two months ago, Biden prematurely declared the nation’s “independence” from the virus.
Now, despite more than 208 million Americans having at least one dose of the vaccine, the United States is seeing about 300% more new COVID-19 infections per day, about two and a half times as many hospitalizations, and nearly the double the number of deaths compared to the same period last year.
After months of using promotions to boost the vaccination rate, Biden is taking a much firmer hand, as his assistants blame people who have yet to receive vaccines for the sharp rise in cases that are killing over 1,000. people a day and endangers a fragile economy. rebound.
Psaki said that “Biden’s overriding goal here is to reduce the number of unvaccinated Americans,” noting that around 80 million adults are still unvaccinated.
In addition to vaccination requirements, Biden is set to double federal fines for airline passengers who refuse to wear masks on flights or maintain face coverage requirements on federal properties in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Biden was also due to announce that the federal government will work to increase the supply of virus testing and that the White House has secured concessions from retailers such as Walmart, Amazon and Kroger to sell home test kits at cost. starting this week.
The administration must send additional federal support to help schools operate safely, including additional funding for testing. And Biden will demand that major entertainment venues and arenas require vaccinations or proof of a negative test for entry.
The obligation for large companies to require vaccinations or weekly tests for employees will be enacted by an upcoming Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule that provides for penalties of $ 14,000 per violation, an official said. ‘administration.
The White House did not immediately say when this would take effect, but said workers would have enough time to get vaccinated.
The rule would also require large companies to grant paid time off for vaccination.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will extend an immunization requirement issued earlier this summer – for nursing home staff – to other health care facilities, including hospitals, health agencies. at home and dialysis centers.
Separately, the Department of Health and Human Services will require vaccinations in Head Start programs, as well as schools run by the Department of Defense and the Indian Education Bureau, affecting around 300,000 employees.
Biden’s order for executive workers and contractors includes exceptions for workers seeking religious or medical exemptions from vaccination, according to Psaki. Federal workers and contractors will have 75 days to get a full vaccine. Workers who do not comply will be referred to the human resources departments of their agencies for advice and disciplinary action, including possible dismissal.
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