President Joe Biden is set to announce stricter vaccination requirements for all federal executive branch workers as well as for contractors in the waning weeks of what was meant to be a “summer of freedom” from COVID-19.
Biden will sign an executive order Thursday requiring executive branch employees and contractors working with the federal government to get vaccinated as part of a six-prong plan to address the delta variant outbreak pummeling parts of the country where vaccine uptake is lowest.
Federal workers had been previously given the option to submit to regular testing in place of getting the vaccine, but that exception will be thrown out. It is also unclear whether workers will be granted exemptions if getting the shots runs counter to their religious beliefs.
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Biden’s address comes as hospitalizations and daily reported cases begin to show signs of a plateau. More than 148,000 COVID-19 cases on average were reported daily over the past seven days, down 3% from the previous two weeks. Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have also shown initial signs of turning a corner, according to tracking from the New York Times. Hospitalizations are nowhere near the lows recorded in June, but they may be turning a corner.
