TEXAS, USA — President Joe Biden announced sweeping vaccine requirements Thursday, Sept. 9 for all executive branch federal employees.
“The Department of Labor is developing an emergency rule to require all employers with 100 or more employees that together employ over 80 million workers to ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week,” Biden said during a press conference.
He said his much firmer approach to counter the country’s soaring COVID-19 case rates comes while roughly 80 million Americans remain unvaccinated.
Biden also said this group is the reason why the pandemic isn’t over yet.
East Texans, vaccinated or not, reasoned the option to get tested regularly rather than get vaccinated is fair.
One resident said, "You have a choice. If you don't like testing then get the vaccine. If you don't want to get the vaccine, then get tested."
Another said, “I’d do the testing. I'm not getting the vaccine.”
Tyler resident Charles Tennyson said although it's fair, testing weekly isn't convenient. This is why he's going to get vaccinated.
“I had COVID, so I know how the testing is. It’s not nice at all,” he said.
President Biden also announced businesses will be required to give their employees paid time off while they get vaccinated.
Companies that fail to comply with these executive orders could face fines of $14,000 per violation.
