Nurses take vaccine doses out of a bottle while Maryland residents receive their second dose of Modern Coronavirus Vaccine at the Cameron Grove Community Center on March 25, 2021 in Bowie, Maryland.
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WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden is expected to announce a new requirement Thursday night for federal employees to receive the coronavirus vaccine, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News.
The executive order will also be extended to contractors working with the U.S. government.
Earlier this year, Biden ordered all federal employees to demonstrate their coronavirus vaccination status or to undergo a series of rigorous safety protocols.
Thursday’s order eliminates the rigorous testing option, a development that comes as the highly contagious delta variant spreads across the United States.
In July, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it would order the inoculation of its health care workers, making it the first federal agency to impose that mandate.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough described the new measure as “the best way to protect veterans.”
This is a developing story. Please check for updates again.