© Xinhua
U.S.-WASHINGTON-COVID-19-VACCINE MANDATE
WASHINGTON (77WABC) — The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration says it’s suspending its enforcement of President Joe Biden’s rules ordering employers with 100 or more employees to either require that their workers get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing.
OSHA posted the announcement on its website.
“On November 12, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted a motion to stay OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard, published on November 5, 2021,” the post reads. “The court ordered that OSHA ‘take no steps to implement or enforce’ the ETS ‘until further court order’.”
“While OSHA remains confident in its authority to protect workers in emergencies, OSHA has suspended activities related to the implementation and enforcement of the ETS pending future developments in the litigation,” the post adds.
The agency’s decision to stop enforcing the rule comes after a federal appeals court earlier this month temporarily stopped Biden’s vaccine rule, citing potential “grave statutory and constitutional issues.” The case is now headed to the Sixth Circuit Court in Ohio.
The original plan said that employers with more than 100 employees must choose whether their workers get fully vaccinated or undergo weekly testing by December 5, and the rule must be implemented by January 4. Companies that fail to follow the order could face stiff fines including almost $14,000 for each employee who doesn’t comply, and up to $136,000 for businesses.
