President Joe Biden will be taking stricter measures with hopes that it will help to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the United States. As multiple news outlets reported, POTUS will sign executive orders on Thursday (Sept. 9) requiring all federal workers, including employees of contractors who do business with the government, to be vaccinated. Unlike the requirements he announced in July, the new mandate reportedly excludes the option to get tested regularly and provide negative results.
The mandate will reportedly be a part of six-pillar-plan that was finalized by Biden and the COVID-19 response team on Wednesday (Sept. 8) and will include measures to ensure safety for children who are returning to school this fall.
The pillars will ultimately discuss getting more people vaccinated, booster shots for vaccinated individuals, keeping schools open amid daily breakout cases, increasing testing, mask requirements, protecting the economy and improving treatment for those who get diagnosed with the virus.
Biden and the White House — who have praised businesses for imposing vaccine mandates and encouraged other settings to do the same — want to set an example to all Americans. Per CNN, government officials are hoping that the new orders will give people insight on what can happen if most people get vaccinated.
The news of Biden’s forthcoming announcement comes after the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services, the Indian Health Service, National Institute of Health and the Pentagon announced that their staff workers must be vaccinated to work.
With COVID-19 Delta cases steadily increasing, the mandates are not the only measures that will be taken to prevent the spread of the virus. Federal officials will reportedly move on with their plans to administer booster shots to vaccinated individuals. The goal is to give the third dose about eight months after the two-dose shots are taken.