The governor of Texas, Republican Greg Abbott, signed an executive order on Monday that states that no company in his state can ask its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, which is a challenge to US President Joe Biden.
Biden announced a month ago that his government plans to force the majority of workers in private companies to be vaccinated or to submit negative test results for covid-19 on a weekly basis.
Although the measure is still in development and has not gone into effect, its announcement sparked the ire of conservative leaders like Abott.
In response, this Monday, Abott signed an executive order prohibiting “any entity” in Texas, including private companies, from requiring their employees to get vaccinated.
In addition, he asked the Republican-dominated state parliament to pass a law for the same purpose.
Abott had already signed another executive order weeks ago that prohibits schools and local authorities from requesting vaccination tests from teachers, students or officials, something that has already been challenged in court by the San Antonio city school district.
The Republican governor was vaccinated against covid-19 in front of television cameras and has asked Texans to get vaccinated; But, in recent months, he has fought relentlessly against city or school district regulations that mandate the use of masks or require proof of vaccination.
The regulations Biden announced in September are being drafted by the Labor Department and it is not yet known when it will be officially presented.
The rule is expected to affect some 80 million workers, more than two-thirds of the country’s workforce.
Across the United States, 56.4% of the population is fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The average number of vaccinations is lower in Texas, where 51.8% of the population are fully immunized. EFE News