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“To date, we have relied on an army of volunteers,” said Dr Schaffner. “But especially with the Delta variant, the enemy has been reinforced, and now an army of volunteers is not enough. We need to institute a draft.
Just over half of Americans, 53 percent, are fully immunized. The number of people seeking gunfire increased dramatically in August, as Delta pushed the country’s average daily case count to more than 150,000 for the first time since late January, overwhelming hospitals in hard-hit areas and killing people. about 1,500 people per day.
But the vaccination rate has yet to help the nation cross the threshold of “herd immunity” – the tipping point that occurs when widespread vaccination, coupled with natural immunity, slows the spread of a disease. virus. If it continues to spread, authorities fear it could mutate into another even more dangerous variant that could escape vaccines.
“When you have 75 to 80 million people eligible to be vaccinated, who are not getting vaccinated, you are going to have a dynamic of continued spread of infection,” said Biden’s chief medical adviser for the pandemic. coronavirus. , warned Dr Anthony S. Fauci in an interview, adding: “It’s very frustrating because we have the means in our power to actually be able to remove it.
The mandate of federal workers is a particularly strong decision of the president. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, told reporters on Thursday that other than some religious and disability exemptions, most would be subject to a 75-day grace period to receive a vaccine.
Understanding the mandates of vaccines and masks in the United States
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- Vaccination rules. On August 23, the Food and Drug Administration fully approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for people 16 years of age and older, paving the way for increased tenure in the public and private sectors. Private companies increasingly require vaccines for their employees. Such warrants are authorized by law and have been confirmed in court challenges.
- Mask rules. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July recommended that all Americans, regardless of their immunization status, wear masks in indoor public places in areas affected by epidemics, a reversal of guidelines it offered in May. . See where the CDC guidelines would apply and where states have instituted their own mask policies. The battle for masks has become controversial in some states, with some local leaders defying state bans.
- College and universities. More than 400 colleges and universities require students to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Almost all of them are in states that voted for President Biden.
- Schools. California and New York City have both introduced vaccination mandates for education staff. A survey released in August found that many American parents of school-aged children are opposed to mandatory vaccines for students, but were more in favor of mask mandates for students, teachers and staff who don’t. don’t have their vaccines.
- Hospitals and medical centers. Many hospitals and major health systems are requiring their employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19, citing an increase in the number of cases fueled by the Delta variant and stubbornly low vaccination rates in their communities, even within their hand -work.
- New York City. Proof of vaccination is required from workers and customers for indoor meals, gyms, shows and other indoor situations, although enforcement does not begin until September 13. Teachers and other education workers in the city’s vast school system will need to have at least one vaccine dose by September 27, with no possibility of weekly testing. Employees of the city’s hospitals must also get vaccinated or undergo weekly tests. Similar rules are in place for New York State employees.
- At the federal level. The Pentagon has announced that it will seek to make coronavirus vaccination mandatory for the nation’s 1.3 million active-duty soldiers “no later than” mid-September. President Biden announced that all federal civilian employees should be vaccinated against the coronavirus or undergo regular testing, social distancing, mask requirements and restrictions on most travel.
If workers refuse to be shot within that time frame, Psaki said, they will “go through the standard HR process,” which she said would include progressive disciplinary action. At least one major union challenged the mandate even before Mr Biden gave his speech.
Cathie McQuiston, deputy general counsel for the American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing some 700,000 federal workers, said in an interview that her organization would work with agencies to “not ignore procedures and ensure that employees enjoy due process “if they are disciplined.
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