Nationwide vaccine mandate for businesses resumes
Town & Country Hand Car Wash is one of several businesses in Orange requiring employees to provide proof of vaccination. SIMRAH AHMAD, Staff Photographer
Although a federal appeals court ordered President Joe Biden’s administration to temporarily stop implementation of his vaccination mandate for businesses with more than 100 employees, the emergence of the Omicron variant in the United States has prompted Biden to continue urging businesses to fully vaccinate all employees.
In the mandate, Biden has given businesses with more than 100 employees until Jan. 4 to either require that their employees get vaccinated or test negative in a weekly COVID-19 test taken before they enter the workplace. Unvaccinated employees will also have to wear masks in their workplace.
“While I would have much preferred that requirements not become necessary, too many people remain unvaccinated for us to get out of this pandemic for good,” Biden said in a White House statement. “So I instituted requirements — and they are working.”
As an incentive for unvaccinated employees to get vaccinated, the president is requiring that employers provide paid time off for any employees getting the vaccine and sick leave for those who have side effects preventing them from working. These requirements must reach completion by Jan. 5.
The mandate also applies to health care workers at facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid, though about 70% of this population has already been vaccinated.
Mahmoud Abul Burghul, the marketing manager for Town & Country Hand Car Wash in Orange, told The Panther the business’ 18 employees were all required to get vaccinated and provide proof of their vaccination cards.
“We are a full service car wash, so we drive the customers for the cars, (and) we clean them from the inside (to the) outside,” Abul Burghul said. “Being vaccinated is very important for us while practicing the necessary protocols to prevent COVID-19 transmission.”
Abul Burghul said he has not received any pushback from his employees against the mandate.
“(My employees) understand the importance of making a customer feel safe (and) welcoming (them) to our business,” Abul Burghul said.
Jerika Lam, Chapman’s viral infection specialist, said Biden’s mandate will be extremely effective in combating the coronavirus. She explained a similar mandate by California Gov. Gavin Newsom has caused the state to have one of the lowest infection rates in the nation: California currently has a 2.9% test positivity rate compared to states like Arizona and New York, which have rates close to 15% and 5%, respectively.
“I think we just need to have universal vaccinations to get this under control before new variants of the virus start developing in 2022,” Lam said. “(Biden’s mandate) is very effective, because we can use California as one of the benchmarks of that mandate.”
Although the mandate does not apply to businesses with fewer than 100 employees, Lam said everyone should still get vaccinated with no exceptions. In order to reach herd immunity, between 70% to 85% of the population must be vaccinated.
Approximately 71% of the nation’s population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, but only 60% has been fully vaccinated as of Dec. 2.
“The main goal is to really tighten down and dampen more viral replication that can lead to mutants forming,” Lam said.
While the mandate does not discuss booster shots, Lam recommends vaccinated employees, along with everyone else who has already been vaccinated, to get the booster shot. According to Lam, even though a couple of the individuals who have contracted the Omicron variant in the U.S. were vaccinated, they showed mild symptoms and did not need to be hospitalized.
“At least we know that there is some protection from completing the whole vaccination series and getting the booster,” Lam said. “We’re vaccinated every year for the flu, but there’s going to be those who will get the flu (and) their symptoms are not as severe for them to go to the hospital and to the ICU.”
Biden’s mandate has been experiencing pushback from 27 states, and it was one of the cases brought to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D-KA) is one of many government employees who is opposing the mandate.
Kelly made headlines in Kansas for signing CCR for HB 2001, a bill passed by a Republican majority that forbids employers from verifying whether an employee who opts out of the vaccine due to religious beliefs is telling the truth.
“I know there are Kansans who believe this legislation goes too far, and there are others who believe this legislation doesn’t go far enough,” Kelly said in a Nov. 23 statement. “But I was elected to lead, and leadership means compromise. This bill is the result of compromise in action.”
A vaccination mandate for the city of Los Angeles went into effect Nov. 29, requiring residents to provide proof of their vaccination before entering indoor businesses such as restaurants, coffee shops, movie theaters and performance venues. The requirement had been in place for the three weeks prior but was put on hold so the city could contact businesses and ensure they understood what would be required of them and their customers.
“As the state’s largest employer, we are leading by example and requiring all state and health care workers to show proof of vaccination or be tested regularly, and we are encouraging local governments and businesses to do the same,” Newsom said in his original July 26 press release; though these words have taken on a newfound relevance.
