Biden to announce new, national measures in fight against COVID-19; some vaccine mandates expected

President Biden today announced six new mitigation steps for combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, including a series of vaccine mandates for certain workers nationwide. Included among vaccine mandates for many employers is a requirement of COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in most health care settings that receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement, including, but not limited to, hospitals, dialysis facilities, ambulatory surgical settings and home health agencies. This policy will apply to nursing home staff as well as staff in hospitals and other CMS-regulated settings, including clinical staff, individuals providing services under arrangements, volunteers and staff who are not involved in direct patient, resident or client care. The Administration’s plan also would establish a new Emergency Temporary Standard from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requiring most employers with 100 or more employees to mandate vaccination or implement weekly testing. The president also announced a host of other measures that relate to testing and vaccination, including booster shots for those already vaccinated, increasing the shipments of monoclonal antibody treatments and expanding the types of providers who can administer monoclonal antibody treatments to include pharmacists. Watch for more details from the AHA about these announcements.