Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Federal Workers Must Get Shot Or Comply To Weekly Testing, Masks
AP: Biden Orders Tough New Vaccination Rules For Federal Workers
President Joe Biden has announced sweeping new pandemic requirements aimed at boosting vaccination rates for millions of federal workers and contractors as he lamented the “American tragedy” of rising-yet-preventable deaths among the unvaccinated. Federal workers will be required to sign forms attesting they’ve been vaccinated against the coronavirus or else comply with new rules on mandatory masking, weekly testing, distancing and more. The strict new guidelines are aimed at increasing sluggish vaccination rates among the huge number of Americans who draw federal paychecks — and to set an example for private employers around the country. (Jaffe, Alonso-Zaldivar and Lemire, 7/30)
The Washington Post: Biden Tells Federal Workers To Get Vaccinated Or Face Restrictions
“I think you’re going to find the patience of businesses, and the patience of other people, running thin,” Biden said, his voice at times rising in exasperation. “Because the fact is, if we had a higher vaccination rate, we wouldn’t be in this position.” He added, “If in fact you are unvaccinated, you present a problem — to yourself, to your family, and to those with whom you work. . . . You want to know how we put this virus behind us? I’ll tell you how. We need to get more people vaccinated.” (Linskey, Wagner and Kim, 7/29)
Roll Call: Biden Asks Federal Workers To Disclose Vaccination Status
Federal workers and contractors will have to declare their vaccination status against COVID-19 or use additional public health precautions, President Joe Biden announced Thursday, signaling a more aggressive stance against the evolving virus. “With freedom comes responsibility, and your decision not to get vaccinated impacts someone else,” Biden said in a national address highlighting the risks for unvaccinated people and society at large. (McIntire and Kopp, 7/29)
AP: Biden Push To Vaccinate Feds Forces Uncomfortable Questions
President Joe Biden’s requirement for federal workers to reveal their COVID-19 vaccination status is likely to force uncomfortable questions not only at government agencies but at private companies as well. Right now, there’s a lack of clear answers. Getting the policy right will take time, and vary across government agencies. The same holds for private companies, for which the White House is trying to provide a guide. It’s not like there’s a cheat sheet. Nothing on this scale has been attempted before in the face of a virus morphing in real time to become a bigger threat. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 7/30)
AP: Biden's COVID Plan: Federal Workers Must Report Shot Status
Key points in President Joe Biden’s plan to increase COVID-19 vaccination among federal employees and encourage more Americans to get shots. (7/29)
Those who get vaccinated would receive $100 in cash —
Reuters: Biden Wants State, Local Govts To Pay $100 To Newly Vaccinated Americans
President Joe Biden is calling for state, local and U.S. territorial governments to provide $100 payments for every newly vaccinated American to boost COVID-19 inoculation rates, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Thursday. ... The Treasury also said it was expanding a tax credit that employers could claim for wages paid to employees to give them paid time off to get vaccinated or to assist family members and certain other individuals with COVID-19 vaccinations. (7/29)
Stat: Biden Wants $100 Rewards For Covid Vaccines. But Will States Pay?
President Biden wants states to give $100 to people who get vaccinated against Covid-19. He wants to require federal workers to get immunized. He wants the same for members of the military, too. It remains entirely unclear, however, whether he has the power to achieve those goals. (Facher, 7/29)
Politico: Biden Rolls Out Aggressive Plan To Jump-Start Vaccination
Biden also called on state, territorial and local governments to use coronavirus relief funding to offer $100 to anyone who gets a shot. Polling and anecdotal evidence shows cash incentives have motivated some unvaccinated Americans to roll up their sleeves. The President announced that small- and medium-sized businesses will now be reimbursed for offering their employees paid leave to get their family members, including their kids, vaccinated. In April, the President announced that, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, the federal government is fully reimbursing any small- or medium-sized business that provides workers with paid time off to get vaccinated. (Gardner, 7/29)
In related news about mandates —
The Baltimore Sun: Federal Workers’ Unions Have Questions About Biden’s New Vaccination Plans
Unions representing hundreds of thousands of federal workers — including many in Maryland — said Thursday that they back nationwide vaccination efforts to slow COVID-19, but stopped short of endorsing President Biden’s new plan to compel government employees and contractors to get the shots. Several labor leaders said it would be premature to endorse Biden’s approach before they can bargain with employers over how it will be implemented. One large labor group — the National Treasury Employees Union — said the president’s plan raised concerns about how employees’ rights and privacy would be protected. (Barker, 7/29)
Axios: COVID Vaccine Mandates Are (Still) Pretty Popular
Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they'd support federal, state or local governments requiring everyone to get a coronavirus vaccine, according to a new survey conducted by The COVID States Project. This kind of blanket mandate hasn't even been proposed, at any level of government. But more piecemeal requirements are rapidly becoming more popular, and the survey suggests Americans are fine with that. (Owens, 7/30)
CNN: Vaccine Mandate: The Government Won't Make You Get A Vaccine. Your Employer Will.
The federal government may not try to force people to get the Covid vaccine. And it may not have to. Your employer, the restaurant where you want to eat, the concert venue you want to visit or the country where you want to travel may do it for them. (Wolf, 7/29)
The Washington Post: Here’s How Other Countries Have Approached Vaccine Mandates
The vaccination rules for federal workers mark an escalation in efforts to incentivize vaccination as a new covid-19 wave mounts. They are part of a growing trend around the world to require — or nearly require — vaccinations for certain categories of people to stem the tide of variant-fueled infections and get the pandemic under control. ... Here’s how four countries have handled vaccination requirements. (Parker, 7/29)
