Covid: Biden says imposing vaccinations on all federal employees ‘under consideration’

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CNN –

President Joe Biden on Thursday will announce a requirement to vaccinate all federal employees and contractors against Covid-19, or require them to undergo regular testing and mitigation requirements, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The announcement will come in remarks where Biden is also expected to put in place a series of new steps, including stimulus, in an effort to spur new vaccinations as the delta variant spreads rapidly across the country. It would also follow a decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs to require the vaccination of frontline health care workers over the next two months.

Biden hinted at the looming announcement on Tuesday.

“That’s under consideration now,” Biden said when asked if he would impose a vaccination mandate on federal workers.

While details are still being finalized, the source said, federal workers will be required to certify their vaccination status or take regular testing. The source said the proposal would be roughly similar to what is being implemented in New York City. Additional requirements for non-vaccinators may be added as agencies pay to vaccinate their staff.

Biden will not impose this condition on the US military, despite his authority to do so, for the time being. The source said, however, that it is likely to specify how the Department of Defense may seek to deal with the issue in the future.

When asked if he thought the new revised guidelines on masks from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would confuse Americans, Biden blamed unvaccinated Americans, saying that if they were vaccinated “we would be in a completely different world.” ”

“We have a pandemic because of the unvaccinated, and they are sowing massive confusion. The more we know about this virus and the delta variant, the more anxious and worried we are. There is only one thing we know for sure: If these other people were vaccinated (inaudible), we would be in a different world. completely “.

The administration’s decision to require vaccines for Veterans Affairs health workers provided a strong signal that vaccine requirements may be necessary to convince those still reluctant to get their vaccines.

To advance the case for vaccine mandates, the administration is taking steps to clarify the legal bases that U.S. entities can require employees to obtain.

Justice Department attorneys have decided that federal law does not prevent public agencies and private companies from ordering Covid-19 vaccines, even if the vaccines are authorized to use only in emergency situations, according to an opinion published online Monday.

The opinion released by the department’s Office of Legal Counsel — dated July 6, but released publicly on Monday — clears the way for more federal agencies and companies to order vaccinations after the Veterans Affairs announcement about front-line health workers.

In recent weeks, Justice Department officials have been studying requests from private companies and federal agencies seeking legal support for policies intended to encourage vaccination, according to people familiar with the matter.

This view is a reversal of the previous administration. Last year, Attorney General William Barr used the legal authority of the Department of Justice to try to fight some Covid restrictions, including joining some companies that have sought to revoke state mask mandates.

CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.

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