A United States District Court in Texas issued a preliminary injunction on Friday, blocking President Biden’s Executive Order mandating that all federal workers be vaccinated against COVID 19 or face termination from employment. The court emphasized that while it believed individuals should, in fact, get vaccinated, the mandate without Congressional input was an overreach of executive power. Enforcement of the mandate is now on hold nationwide, until the case is resolved on its merits. The Biden administration stated it will appeal the court’s order.
Last month, a U.S. District Court in Georgia issued a nationwide stay, enjoining the federal government from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal government contractors. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed an injunction prohibiting enforcement of the large employer vaccine-or-test rule (OSHA ETS) but held that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandate could proceed.
Associated Industries will continue to keep members updated on COVID-19 related developments.