Businesses with more than 100 employees would require vaccinations or weekly tests

Juan Salinas II
campus editor

The Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for federal workers is up in the air.
The proposed measure, which was halted by a federal appeals court, would require businesses larger than 100 employees or more to be vaccinated, or get weekly tests for COVID and wear a mask while working.

This measure by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration would affect federal employees.

Reginald Gates, the vice-chancellor for communications and external affairs, didn’t respond in time before the story was published when sent questions about TCC’s plans for the potential mandate.

“I think it could be a good thing since it doesn’t force people to get vaccinated,” SE student Ravion Shepherd said. ”You just have to follow procedures to ensure that you’re not positive for COVID, but we should expect a lot of push back from people that don’t want these precautions.”

Last month, Gov. Greg Abbot signed an executive order banning any vaccine mandate for all entities in Texas.

“We may see this in the Supreme Court in the near future, or it may take a while and be irrelevant at that point because enough people will be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity,” NW government instructor Lauren McClain said.

Sociology professor Elizabeth Gabhart brought up how the Supreme Court already ruled on a similar case back in 1905 with the smallpox epidemic.

“While some people are yelling about their rights, they’re missing the point of living in a society,” Gabheart said. “Living in a society with freedom and rights has never meant that people have the right to kill others; that’s the most basic premise of the concept of freedom within a society.”

Gabhart explains how she hopes the federal government can go along with its plan to enforce it.

“I think that states which bow to anti-vax sentiment are likely to drag their feet for months or years by filing lawsuits, while thousands of their own citizens die of COVID,” she said.

“Eventually, they will lose those lawsuits, and the federal government will prevail.”

NW student Brian Gibbs thinks that people are overreacting to the mandate.

“I don’t think it’s horrible because you can get tested if you don’t want to get the vaccine,” Gibbs said.

He said a person’s vaccination status will offer differing perspectives.

“I think it depends on your perspective,” he said. “For me, since I’m vaccinated, then I don’t really mind because it doesn’t really affect me as much, but for someone who’s unvaccinated, it might make it more of a headache for them to be able to work.”