President Joe Biden confirmed the executive branch was considering a requirement that federal employees get vaccinated and is expected to announce the mandate on Thursday, according to a CNN source.
“That’s under consideration right now,” the president told a reporter Tuesday in response to a question. “If you’re not vaccinated, you’re not nearly as smart as I thought you were," Biden added.
Listen to your favorite News/Talk station now on Audacy.
The federal workforce boasts an estimated 2.1 million civilian workers, according to the Office of Personnel Management. In addition, the military and the postal service employ another 2 million people, but it’s unclear whether the mandate applies to them as well.
Vaccination rates have declined drastically since late March and early April and are stagnant.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed its recommendations and said fully-vaccinated people should once again wear masks indoors in areas with high or substantial Covid-19 infection rates.
Local governments are reinforcing mask mandates as the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus causes a surge in cases and threatens to overwhelm hospitals. It comes as many companies try to navigate reopening office spaces to employees safely. However, aside from healthcare businesses, private companies have been hesitant to mandate vaccinations for workers.
On Monday, the Department of Veterans Affairs - a federal agency - announced its requirement for healthcare workers nationwide to get the COVID-19 vaccine. California said its 2 million state employees would need to be vaccinated or submit to weekly testing. New York City notified more than 40,000 workers of the same.
Previously, President Biden was reluctant to mandate vaccinations for on-site work in federal buildings.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram