JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) — On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced new federal vaccine requirements affecting as many as 100 million Americans in an all-out effort to increase COVID-19 vaccinations.
Governor Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) is against the new requirements. He posted on Twitter, “The President has no authority to require that Americans inject themselves because of their employment at a private business. The vaccine itself is life-saving, but this unconstitutional move is terrifying. This is still America, and we still believe in freedom from tyrants.”
The Biden administration announced that all employers with 100+ employees must either mandate vaccines or test weekly, affecting about 80 million Americans.
The requirement for large companies to mandate vaccinations or weekly testing for employees will be enacted through a forthcoming rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that carries penalties of $14,000 per violation, an administration official said. The White House did not immediately say when it would take effect, but said workers would have sufficient time to get vaccinated.
The rule would also require that large companies provide paid time off for vaccination.
You can read more information about Biden’s plan here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.