Joe Biden To Announce New Covid Vaccine Rule For Larger Businesses And Will Urge Entertainment Venues To Set Mandates

President Joe Biden’s administration is set to issue a new rule that will require that businesses with 100 or more employees mandate vaccinations or weekly testing.

In a speech on Thursday afternoon, the president also will urge large venues to require patrons be vaccinated or show proof of a negative test, albeit the White House appeared to be recommending, not regulating, such action for sports arenas, concert halls or other gathering places of large numbers of people.

“The President’s plan will reduce the number of unvaccinated Americans by using regulatory powers and other actions to substantially increase the number of Americans covered by vaccination requirements—these requirements will become dominant in the workplace,” the White House said in a statement outlining their plans (see them here). “In addition, the plan will provide paid time off for vaccination for most workers in the country.”

A senior administration official told multiple news outlets that the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is creating the emergency rule, which is estimated to affect about 80 million workers in private sector businesses. Those who don’t comply will be subject to fines.

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Biden is expected to outline a series of steps to try to boost vaccinations and curb the spread of the virus in a speech on Thursday afternoon. He’s also set to announce a vaccine mandate for all federal workers and contractors.

A number of large businesses already have issued vaccine requirements, including The Walt Disney Co. and Walmart. The spread of the Delta variant by mid-summer generated a resurgence of the virus, with rising hospitalizations and deaths primarily among the unvaccinated.

Biden also plans to announce requirements for health care workers. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services plans to require vaccinations for workers in most health care settings that receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, affecting an estimated 17 million workers.

“This action will create a consistent standard across the country, while giving patients assurance of the vaccination status of those delivering care,” the White House said.

OSHA also plans to issue a rule that will require larger employers — those with 100 or more employees — to give their workforce paid time off to get the vaccine and, if necessary, to recover from side effects.

Biden’s call for entertainment venues to issue their own requirements follows actions already taken in some states and among some major live event businesses. Two of the largest, AEG and Live Nation, have announced requirements for artists, crew members and patrons to show proof of vaccinations or a negative test at their events and festivals.

The White House also said that it was preparing for a rollout of Covid booster shots starting the week of Sept. 20, subject to FDA approval and a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Biden also will call on states to adopt vaccine requirements for all school employees, as well as to set up regular testing regimes for teachers and students. The FDA has not yet approved the vaccine for children under the age of 12.

Meanwhile, the Transportation Security Administration has extended through Jan. 18 masking requirements in airports, on planes, trains and other forms of public transportation. The Biden administration plans to double fines for those who are not in compliance.

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