Florida's DeSantis joins Republican officials in plans to sue Biden administration over COVID vaccine, testing mandate
CBSN
The White House's announcement on Thursday that many businesses will be required to enforce COVID vaccines or testing was met with immediate backlash from several Republican officials. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has joined several other state officials in announcing plans to sue the administration over the new order.
The emergency standard mandates private-sector businesses with at least 100 employees to either require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing. Roughly 84 million workers — making up about two-thirds of the private-sector force — are expected to be impacted by the rule, and employers have until January 4 to implement the policy. Those who defy the order could face fines up to $14,000 per employee, according to an administration official.
Jim Frederick, deputy assistant secretary of labor at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), said Thursday that the mandate is expected to "save thousands of lives and prevent more than 25,000 hospitalizations."
