September 10, 2021 - 11:18 AMT
U.S. boosts vaccine requirements for large employers

All employers in the United States with 100 or more employees would have to require that their workers be vaccinated or undergo at least weekly Covid-19 testing under a new plan announced by President Joe Biden to curb the spread of the pandemic, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the coming weeks plans to issue an emergency temporary standard implementing the new requirement, which will cover 80 million private-sector workers.

Businesses that don’t comply can face fines of up to $14,000 per violation.

The employers will also have to give workers paid time off to get vaccinated or to recover from any side effects of getting vaccinated.

The administration also plans to require vaccinations for workers in most health care settings that receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement. The mandate applies to about 50,000 health providers, according to the release.

Photo: Getty Images