President requires vaccines for 100M American workers
President Joe Biden announced new vaccine mandates for as many as 100 million American workers, two-thirds of the nation’s workforce, on Thursday.
Under the new rules, companies with over 100 workers must require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly tests — that’s estimated to affect about 80 million people. Full vaccination is also required for workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid, as well as federal executive branch employees and contractors that work for the U.S. government, according to The Associated Press.
These new requirements are part of a national plan by the Biden administration to stem the rise in COVID-19 cases and increase vaccination rates. The mandate already faces stern criticism from some lawmakers and union leaders, while others praised the move Thursday night. Biden’s order for executive branch employees and contractors has exceptions for those seeking religious or medical exemptions, the AP reported.
More than 177 million Americans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, but confirmed cases recently rose to an average of about 140,000 per day with on average about 1,000 deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The federal change came just a day after a new vaccine rule was announced for Vermont state employees. Effective Sept. 15, all state of Vermont executive branch employees will be required to attest they are vaccinated, or be subject to at least weekly testing and mandatory masking at work, as announced at a Wednesday press conference. This comes after a vaccine requirement went into place on Sept. 1 for state employees working in prisons and other state-run residential facilities.
Currently, Vermont’s state government employs over 8,000 people. Leadership of the Vermont State Employees Association says most of the workers they represent approve of the Scott administration’s new requirement, the AP reported, though the union and state have some details to work out.
Vermont adjusts masking guidance for schools
This week, Vermont also updated its public health advisory for schools, which almost all local school districts have followed since the school year began recently.
Originally, the state recommended that masks be required for all students for the first 10 days of school, allowing that masking rules can be lifted when 80% of a school’s students age 12 and over have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. On Wednesday, state officials asked that school masking requirements stay in place until October 4, regardless of the school’s vaccination rate.
“We hope by then the Delta wave that has impacted the entire country — though fortunately not anywhere near as severely in Vermont — will have begun to subside,” Scott told the media Wednesday.
In recent weeks, some have urged the governor to reinstall a state of emergency and bring back a statewide mask mandate. Scott has said there isn’t a need to do so currently, and in his Wednesday remarks, he noted that all schools except for one have implemented masking requirements. The Canaan School Board voted 5-0 last month to not require masks.
“By encouraging schools to implement the state’s recommendations, we’ve essentially achieved a universal masking requirement in schools, without a state of emergency (order),” Scott said.
Under the state’s recommendations, it’s asking that all students under 12 continue to wear masks at school until they become eligible for the vaccine. A COVID-19 vaccine for children under age 12 is expected to receive federal emergency use authorization later in October, experts say. The approvals could come in waves for smaller groups within that age range, NBC5 reported.
According to Vermont Public Radio, state officials want to understand more about how the virus is circulating through communities before they encourage schools to lift mask mandates. In Vermont, more than 1,000 tested positive for COVID in the past week, VPR reported. However, state officials are encouraged that cases in Chittenden County have trended downward in the past seven days, as reported at Wednesday’s press conference.
In a bid to increase vaccination, the Vermont Agency of Education is reserving $2 million in grant dollars for schools who receive high vaccination rates. The Scott administration is still finalizing details for the school vaccine incentive program.
The state is continuing to offer school-based vaccination clinics throughout Vermont in collaboration with local district officials.
Statewide, the rate of eligible Vermonters with at least one dose of the vaccine is 86.7% as of Thursday.
— Gareth Henderson
