Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Operators Worry Holiday Season Air Cargo Will Be Hit By Vax Mandates
Politico: Biden’s Vaccine Mandate Has Cargo Giants In A Pre-Holiday Panic
A trade group for air cargo giants like UPS and FedEx is sounding the alarm over an impending Dec. 8 vaccine deadline imposed by President Joe Biden, complaining it threatens to wreak havoc at the busiest time of the year — and add yet another kink to the supply chain. “We have significant concerns with the employer mandates announced on Sept. 9, 2021, and the ability of industry members to implement the required employee vaccinations by Dec. 8, 2021,” Stephen Alterman, president of the Cargo Airline Association, wrote in a letter sent the Biden administration and obtained by POLITICO. (Korecki, 10/21)
The Wall Street Journal: American, Southwest Say Vaccine Mandate Won’t Disrupt Flights
Airlines say they don’t anticipate having to immediately fire employees not vaccinated by a federal deadline in December, another challenge for carriers managing travel’s rocky recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Major airlines, which conduct business with the federal government, must require their workers to be vaccinated by Dec. 8 under an executive order signed by President Joe Biden in September pertaining to federal contractors. (Sider, 10/21)
In related news about covid mandates —
Crain's Detroit Business: Beaumont Suspends 370 Workers Over COVID Vaccine Mandate
Just over 1 percent of Beaumont Health System's workforce, or 370 of its roughly 33,000 workers, were suspended this week for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, the system told Crain's Thursday. The Southfield-based health system announced all employees, contractors and vendors had to receive the vaccine for continued employment in late July with a later established Oct. 18 deadline. The 370 workers have until Nov. 16 to receive the vaccine or their employment will be terminated, Mark Geary, head of communications for Beaumont, told Crain's in an email. (Walsh, 10/21)
The CT Mirror: Over 100 Hartford HealthCare Staff Out Of Work After Refusing Vaccine
Just over 100 Hartford HealthCare employees — representing 0.3% of the health system’s workforce — have left the organization as of Thursday after refusing to get vaccinated for COVID-19, according to Dr. Ajay Kumar, Chief Clinical Officer. “We don’t even use the term ‘termination,’” Kumar said. “The individual decided to choose a different path in their career. … We’re very respectful of people’s choices.” (Pananjady, 10/21)
Stateline: Biden's Vaccine Mandate Could Further Strain Rural Hospitals
In the broadest sense, President Joe Biden’s vaccine requirement for the more than 17 million U.S. health care workers will alleviate the strain on all health centers and clinics by boosting the country’s overall vaccination rate—and by reducing the number of health care workers who are forced to take sick leave because they contract COVID-19. Big-city hospitals have brushed aside some workers’ protests and lawsuits, implementing vaccine mandates without a significant effect on staffing or patient care. About 41% of U.S. hospitals already have a vaccine mandate, according to the American Hospital Association. But the story may be more complicated in rural America, where resistance to the vaccine remains strongest. Some rural hospital leaders worry the vaccine mandate will exacerbate a labor shortage that was profound even before the pandemic. There are predictions that some hospitals will have to close their doors. (Wright, 10/21)
Also —
Politico: DeSantis Calls For Special Florida Legislative Session To Fight Biden's Vaccine Mandate
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday called for a special legislative session to block the Biden administration’s vaccine mandates, taking the most aggressive action yet in his ongoing fight with the White House over Covid restrictions. The GOP governor, who has built a national reputation fighting against coronavirus-related lockdowns and mandates, said during a news conference in Pinellas County that the special session will yield a set of protections that will prevent Biden’s vaccine mandates from being enacted in Florida. (Sarkissian, 10/21)
AP: Michigan Won't Go Further Than Federal Vax-Or-Test Rule
Michigan will not order employers to adhere to a COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirement that is stricter than one planned by the Biden administration. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration released its stance this week following questions from the business community. (Eggert, 10/21)
San Francisco Chronicle: Apple To Require Unvaccinated Workers To Get Daily COVID Tests
Unvaccinated Apple workers will have to get daily COVID-19 tests in order to enter the office, according to Bloomberg. Under the new rules, the Cupertino-based tech giant will require that vaccinated workers get tested weekly. The daily tests will also apply to employees who refuse to disclose their vaccination status. Bloomberg also reported that retail workers at Apple stores will be tested more regularly than is currently the case: twice a week for unvaccinated store workers and once a week for those who are vaccinated. While the new regulations signal a tightening of COVID-19 rules for Apple, the company’s new regulations will still be more lenient than those at Google, Microsoft and Facebook, all of which require in-person workers to be vaccinated. (Dineen, 10/21)
Politico: California's In-N-Out Sparks Latest Pandemic Culture War
It took defiance of Bay Area pandemic restrictions for some Californians to admit that In-N-Out is, after all, just a fast food corporation and not a unifying state identity. One location’s refusal to mandate indoor masks — and its subsequent closure by San Francisco health officials last week — set off a flurry of debates about both Covid restrictions and the quality of french fries. The issue turned some Democrats against the beloved Southern California-based burger chain and again brought the liberal state's strict pandemic approach to the fore. (Mays, 10/21)
