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COVID-19 vaccine mandates for city workers are still being enforced.
Sarah Tew/CNET
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As the omicron surge lessens and COVID-19 cases decrease sharply, some US cities are ending proof of vaccination requirements for eating in restaurants. Washington, DC, Seattle and Philadelphia have recently lifted vaccine requirements or announced the end of such policies.
On Tuesday, that «indoor venues will no longer be required to verify that patrons are vaccinated,» effective immediately. Individual businesses can still choose to keep the mandate — that will continue to require proof of vaccination for entry.
On Wednesday, Philadelphia announced it was and that vaccine proof would no longer be required for indoor dining. Seattle’s King County also decided Wednesday to and large outdoor events starting March 1. Last week, also ended its proof-of-vaccination requirement for indoor venues.
Earlier this week, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu indicated that the city’s could be lifted as early as next week, if fewer than 95% of ICU beds are occupied, hospitalizations are fewer than 200 per day and local case positivity drops below 5%.
However, as some cities lift their vaccine requirements for consumers, many city workers are still facing deadlines to get vaccinated or lose their jobs.
On Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that the city had fired 1,428 government workers for not complying with the COVID-19 vaccine requirement, . The group of terminated employees — less than 1% of the city’s 370,000 government workers — included 36 police officers and 25 firefighters.
More than in the US have died from COVID-19, and vaccination rates have slowed despite the surge of the . About have had at least one dose as of Feb. 16.
Read on to learn more about who’s still required to get COVID-19 vaccines and why. Also, get the latest on , the and .
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COVID-19 boosters and the delta variant: What you need…
Which cities require vaccines for indoor dining?
New York City, Chicago, New Orleans and San Francisco all require vaccine proof for inside dining, gyms and other indoor activities. Los Angeles County also to enter indoor bars, nightclubs, breweries and wineries, and requires people age 12 and older to be fully vaccinated before entering any public indoor spaces.
Boston announced its B Together vaccine requirements for indoor dining on Jan. 15, but new metrics mean that the mandate could end soon. Seattle’s King County currently requires vaccination for restaurant patrons, but that rule will expire March 1.
Washington DC, Philadelphia and Minneapolis/St. Paul are cities that recently ended their vaccine requirements for indoor dining.
Which states and cities require vaccines for workers?
Although the for private companies was blocked by the Supreme Court, many states and cities are enforcing their own vaccine requirements. Workers who defy local vaccine mandates make up a tiny percentage of the overall public workforce.
Several states, including Washington and Massachusetts, require vaccines for health care workers, government employees or education workers. Some states like California and New Jersey mandate vaccines for all three groups.
The local governments of Tucson, Arizona, and Denver are two of many that have also instituted vaccine mandates, primarily for city workers. These mandates have resulted in job losses for a very small percentage. In Denver, , or 0.1% of the city workforce, lost their jobs for not complying with the local vaccine mandate.
A few states and cities also allow frequent COVID-19 testing as an alternative to vaccination requirements. The maintains an excellent rundown of current vaccine requirements across the US.
Several legal challenges newark nj to nyc vaccine mandates for city and state workers have been struck down by courts. On Tuesday, , a California superior court dismissed a lawsuit filed by Los Angeles firefighters protesting the city’s requirement for government workers.
What are the federal COVID-19 vaccine requirements?
- The Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for large private companies with more than 100 employees has been .
- As of Jan. 31, the Department of Health and Human Services requires vaccinations for teachers in Head Start and schools run by the Department of Defense and the Bureau of Indian Education.
- Workers in health care facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, including hospitals and home health agencies, are still required to be fully vaccinated. The Supreme Court decided to allow the mandate for health care workers.
- Individuals applying to become lawful permanent US residents must be fully vaccinated, according to the .
- The vaccine mandate for federal workers and employees of has been blocked in district court, but it hasn’t been withdrawn.
Which companies are requiring COVID-19 vaccines for employees?
Companies that have implemented plans for mandatory vaccinations include airlines, cruise lines, concert halls, health care facilities and restaurants. Some of the requirements may include mask and testing guidelines, and some may only apply to employees traveling internationally, working in the office or having face-to-face interactions with customers. If any of these apply to you, check with your employer for more details.
Here are some of the companies that have announced vaccination requirements for employees:
- Apple
- AT&T
- DoorDash
- Ford
- General Electric
- IBM
- Lyft
- McDonald’s
- Microsoft
- NBCUniversal
- Netflix
- Salesforce
- Southwest Airlines
- Tyson Foods
- Uber
- United Airlines
- Walgreens
- Walmart
What are the vaccine requirements for US military and police?
In August, (PDF) that all 1.3 million active-duty service members will need to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. The directive covers all active-duty members of the Armed Forces or in the Ready Reserve, including the National Guard. There are some exemptions, including one for religious reasons, but they .
In January, the US Army announced that , and that no soldiers had been «involuntarily separated» due to the vaccine mandate. It also said that «commanders have relieved a total of six regular Army leaders, including two battalion commanders, and issued 3,073 general officer written reprimands to soldiers for refusing the vaccination order.»
On Feb. 2, that it would «immediately» begin discharging soldiers who refuse to be vaccinated for COVID-19, though there are no official statistics yet on how many have been affected. Before COVID-19, members of the military were already — and possibly up to 17 in total — depending on their deployment locations.
On Wednesday, Military.com reported that from the military for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Police officers in the cities and states with mandates for government workers are required to be vaccinated, although some locales offer frequent testing as an alternative.
In response to local laws, police associations have come out openly against vaccine mandates. In Oregon, to block a state-level vaccine requirement, although that suit was later . A federal judge also dismissed a similar lawsuit to stop a vaccine mandate for police officers in Los Angeles.
Which colleges and schools have vaccine mandates?
As early as spring 2021, colleges and universities were adding vaccine requirements for students and faculty. Private universities like were among the first to institute vaccine mandates, and both public and private schools across the country soon followed suit.
More than are currently requiring vaccines for students who attend in-person classes — over 300 of those schools also require boosters for all eligible students.
In October, California became the first state to mandate . All students, elementary through high school, will be required to get the shot. Nine states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have vaccination requirements for staff in K-12 schools, though in requiring students to be vaccinated.
Some cities and states have their own vaccine requirements.
Natalie Weinstein/CNET
Which states have banned vaccine mandates?
At least , prohibit proof-of-vaccination requirements in one form or another. The bans prohibit vaccine requirements for a wide range actions — including accessing state services and patronizing businesses. The state prohibitions were enacted through either legislation or executive orders.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s request to temporarily block the vaccine mandate for federal contractors was in November.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in October banning all state entities, including private employers, from enforcing vaccine mandates.
Some states are also trying to prevent private employers from requiring vaccines, . On Tuesday, that would make it a crime for businesses to require their employees be vaccinated. Some states are also trying to prevent the use of , which show proof that you’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19.
What other vaccines are mandated in the US?
A federal vaccine mandate is not new. In 1977, for example, the federal government to vaccinate up to 90% of the nation’s children against seven diseases:
- Diphtheria
- Measles
- Mumps
- Pertussis
- Poliomyelitis
- Rubella
- Tetanus
, with exemptions varying from state to state. Most follow the for children.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
