Some states, though, have sided with employees on pandemic-related matters. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, a Republican, in May signed a bill that prohibits employers from forcing their workers to disclose vaccination status. Hawaii and Oregon have set limits on contact-tracing technology that would reveal workers’ whereabouts to their employers. Brian Kemp, the Republican governor of Georgia, signed an executive order in May prohibiting state employers from having different rules for workers based on their vaccination status.
Private industries, meanwhile, have powerful self-interests and allies.
United Airlines, which expects to return to profitability in the third quarter as travel rebounds, is among companies requiring proof of vaccination from new hires. The Broadway show “Hamilton” in May announced that all cast and crew must be immunized, although it wasn’t demanding the same of audiences. At least 600 public and private colleges are requiring proof from their staff and students, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Hospitals Lead
At least 433 hospitals nationwide have mandates in place, according to the Chicago-based American Hospital Association, a trade group representing almost 5,000 health-care providers. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs became the first federal agency to mandate Covid-19 shots. Physicians, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, nurses, chiropractors and others who work in or visit veterans facilities have eight weeks to get inoculated.
California, the most populous U.S. state, will require all state employees in August to prove they’ve been vaccinated or wear a mask in the office and get tested for the virus at least once a week, Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday. San Francisco public employees have until Thursday to report their status, under penalty of perjury, according to a memo distributed by the city and county human resources department.
In New York, de Blasio is taking similar action for the city’s 300,000-member municipal workforce, with those who resist facing dismissal without pay. The most populous U.S. city reported a seven-day average of 837 new Covid-19 cases for July 24, more than double the average on July 11.
Beginning September 13 every City government employee will need to be vaccinated for #COVID19 or undergo weekly testing. Those are the options.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said the state is powerless to order its more than 1,600 municipalities to require vaccinations, but warned that it was no time for “baby steps and incremental actions.”
“You don’t slow the spread that way,” Cuomo said. “We learned that lesson—been there, done that.”
—With assistance from Romy Varghese, Henry Goldman, Emma Court, Carey Goldberg, Vincent Del Giudice, John Tozzi, Linus Chua, Shruti Date Singh, Paige Smith, Chris Marr and Margaret Newkirk.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.