Prez toughens worker shot mandates

Telling unvaccinated Americans, “Your refusal has cost us all,” President Biden on Thursday mandated that two-thirds of all US workers get COVID-19 shots, with farreaching new rules for businesses and federal workers as cases surge.

Saying the Delta variant of the virus is fueling a “pandemic of the unvaccinated,” Biden said the Labor Department will force businesses with 100 workers to require staff to get vaccinated or be tested weekly. Federal workers won’t have a testing option and must consent to injections with few exceptions.

“This is not about freedom or personal choice,” Biden said in a speech at the White House. “It’s about protecting yourself and those around you — the people you work with, the people you care about, the people you love . . . We cannot allow these actions to stand in the way of protecting the large majority of Americans who have done their part, who want to get back to life as normal.

“Many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans who are still not vaccinated even though the vaccine is safe, effective and free,” Biden said.

“A distinct minority of Americans supported by a distinct minority of elected officials are keeping us from turning the corner . . . We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us.”

The president conspicuously avoided using the word “mandate” and instead used the term “requirement” throughout his remarks.

He said the US Education Department will pay the salaries of teachers in school districts that lose funding for defying state bans on mask mandates.

Biden said the Transportation Security Administration, meanwhile, would double fines for passengers who refuse to wear masks. “If you break the rules, be prepared to pay. By the way, show some respect!” he barked.

Biden outlined the new mandates and penalties after his approval rating tanked in several recent national polls, including because of lower support for his pandemic management as the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 drives an increase in infections.