Daily US Times: President Biden has announced sweeping new Covid measures that require employees at large companies to be vaccinated or face weekly testing.
The measures come as Mr Biden faces pressure to combat a surge in cases and it includes a vaccine mandate for millions of federal government workers.
More than 650,000 Americans have died with coronavirus and hospitals are at the highest capacity.
President Biden had promised a “summer of freedom” from Covid-19, but the Delta variant has seen infections surge.
Mr Biden, in an address at the White House on Thursday, directed the US Department of Labor to require all private businesses with 100 or more employees to mandate the vaccine or request proof of a negative coronavirus test from the staff at least once a week.
The order will affect about 80 million workers across the US.
The US president said: “This is not about freedom, or personal choice, it’s about protecting yourself and those around you.”
Nearly 17 million healthcare workers at facilities receiving federal benefits will also have to follow the same requirements, Biden said.
Biden’s plan uses the full force of his executive power to mandate the Covid-19 vaccine for unvaccinated Americans.
Unveiling his six-point plan, Mr Biden said that requirements that large businesses provide paid time off for staff to get vaccinated will be unveiled in the coming weeks by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha).
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