Biden Introduce Stronger Vaccination Restrictions in the US To Fight Against Covid
US President Joe Biden has proposed a slew of initiatives to improve COVID-19 vaccination rates in the US, including requiring federal employees to be immunized and requiring major companies to guarantee their staff are vaccinated or tested for the virus on a weekly basis.
In a speech on Thursday, Biden expressed his disappointment that some Americans were refusing to get the vaccine, despite an increase in cases and deaths from the virus, which was primarily caused by unvaccinated persons.
“What makes it even more distressing is that we have the means to battle COVID-19, but a small number of Americans, backed by a small number of political leaders, are preventing us from making progress,” he added.
Biden denounced “pandemic politics,” claiming that the increased vaccination regulations will lower the number of unvaccinated individuals in the United States.
Biden Introduce Stronger Vaccination Restrictions in the US To Fight Against Covid. He claims that around 80 million people who are eligible for vaccines — out of a population of almost 330 million – have yet to receive one.
“I’m announcing that the Department of Labor is working on an emergency regulation that would require all businesses with 100 or more employees to guarantee that their workforces are completely vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week,” Biden stated.
The new regulation is being developed by the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), according to a separate statement from the White House. According to the Reuters news agency, businesses who do not comply with the law would risk fines of up to $14,000 for each violation.
Biden’s bold move comes as the US and the rest of the globe fight to control the virus’s return.
Following a decrease in infection rates in the United States early this summer as a result of a large vaccination effort, the virus has been on the rise again in the last two months, thanks to the appearance of the extremely infectious Delta strain.
Some large businesses, like Fox News, a conservative news organization, already demand employees to get vaccinated, according to Biden.
Republican lawmakers reacted angrily to Biden’s announcement. The provisions are “clearly unlawful,” according to Congressman Thomas Massie, an outspoken opponent of vaccination mandates.
The regulations may face legal challenges, according to Congressman Dan Bishop. On Twitter, he remarked, “Things that are unconstitutional tend not to stand up in court.”
Biden Introduce Stronger Vaccination Restrictions in the US To Fight Against Covid. A number of Republican governors have also spoken out against the new rules. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp tweeted, “I will seek every legal option available to the state of Georgia to block this clearly unconstitutional overreach by the Biden administration.”
In a statement, the Republican National Committee said it plans to sue the Biden administration over the vaccination mandate.
Biden noted in his address that his tolerance with unvaccinated individuals was running thin, emphasizing that their unwillingness to be immunized was costing everyone the opportunity to return to pre-pandemic normalcy.
“To unvaccinated Americans, my message is simple: What are you waiting for? What more do you require? Vaccinations are now free, safe, and convenient,” he stated. Biden Introduce Stronger Vaccination Restrictions in the US To Fight Against Covid
Biden also pushed commercial companies to enact their own vaccination policies.
“I ask to those of you in charge of big entertainment facilities – from sports arenas to music halls to movie theatres – please compel people to be vaccinated or demonstrate a negative test as a condition of entry,” Biden stated.
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