Texas Gov. Greg Abbott bans any COVID-19 vaccine mandates — including for private employers

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott connected Monday issued different enforcement bid cracking down connected COVID-19 vaccine mandates — this clip banning immoderate entity successful Texas, including backstage businesses, from requiring vaccinations for employees oregon customers.

Abbott besides called connected the Legislature to walk a instrumentality with the aforesaid effect. The Legislature is successful its 3rd peculiar legislative session, which ends Oct. 19.

COVID-19 vaccine requirements by authorities agencies, cities, counties and schoolhouse districts were already banned by a erstwhile enforcement order — which is presently being fought successful tribunal by the San Antonio Independent School District. The Legislature besides already passed into instrumentality a prohibition connected alleged vaccine passports — which would let businesses to necessitate impervious of vaccination to person service. However, Texas had up to this constituent allowed backstage businesses to necessitate vaccines of their ain employees.

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The latest determination appears to beryllium partially motivated by President Joe Biden's actions in September that necessitate each employers with much than 100 workers to mandate vaccines for workers oregon trial play for the virus. Biden besides required each national authorities workers and contractors to get vaccinated, starring astir each the large airlines — including American Airlines and Southwest Airlines headquartered successful Texas — to announce they'd abide by the mandate.

"In yet different lawsuit of national authorities overreach, the Biden Administration is present bullying galore backstage entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, causing workforce disruptions that endanger Texas's continued betterment from the COVID-19 disaster," Abbott said successful his order.

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About 52% of Texans are fully vaccinated. Abbott was vaccinated connected TV and has antecedently advocated for radical to get the shot. But successful caller months — arsenic the delta variant caused different upswing successful cases and hospitalizations — he has concentrated his governmental superior toward warring vaccine and disguise mandates from section schoolhouse districts and governments.

2021 Texas Tribune