All Workers At Health Care Facilities Must Be Vaccinated By Jan. 4 Under Biden Emergency Rule

Seventeen million health care workers throughout 76,000 health care facilities will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to continue work under President Joe Biden‘s new emergency rule – with no exceptions. This will affect all health care facilities with over 100 employees that receive federal funding. They will be subject to stricter rules than other workplaces, while some companies will still allow a weekly test-out alternative to the vaccine, health care facilities will not be granted the exception. The unvaccinated will be required to wear a mask at all times, no matter the status of their most recent COVID-19 test.

A Biden senior administration told reporters, “There is not a testing option… We have a higher bar for health care workers given their critical role in ensuring the health and safety of their patients. And so it’s either vaccination or an exemption.”

The new OSCHA vaccine mandate will hit workplaces hard with non-compliance fines of up to $14,000 if firms refuse to comply with the mandate. The requirement includes anyone working at a health care facility in any capacity.

Although the mandate does not begin until 2022, it is required that employees be fully vaccinated by this date. In order to meet this standard, many workplaces are beginning to require vaccinations now, to avoid being fined later.

Article by Maggie Cole