Texas governor bars all COVID-19 vaccine mandates in state By Reuters

By Dan Whitcomb

(Reuters) -Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an govt order on Monday barring all COVID-19 vaccine mandates within the state by any entity, together with non-public employers.

Abbott’s transfer units him up for a conflict with President Joe Biden, a Democrat who final month known as on employers nationwide to order their staff to be vaccinated or lose their jobs. Abbott is a Republican.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is protected, efficient, and our greatest protection towards the virus, however ought to stay voluntary and by no means compelled,” Abbott stated in a written assertion.

The governor’s order states that “no entity in Texas” might compel proof of vaccination by any particular person, together with workers or prospects. Abbott additionally known as on state lawmakers to take up the difficulty in an upcoming particular session.

Tech giants Fb Inc (NASDAQ:) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:) Inc’s Google have each informed workers that they would want proof of vaccination to return to their places of work. Each corporations make use of giant numbers in Texas.

Fort Price-based American Airways (NASDAQ:), the most important U.S. provider, final week informed its 100,000 U.S.-based workers they need to submit proof of full vaccination no later than Nov. 24 – or be fired.

United Airways imposed a vaccine mandate on its 60,000 workers, round 9,000 of whom are primarily based in Texas.

The corporate is defending a lawsuit filed in Fort Price, and a federal decide on Wednesday will hear a request by United workers for an injunction to stop the provider from firing workers who requested exemptions from the vaccine mandate.

Biden’s mandate announcement in September got here as his administration struggled to manage the pandemic, which has killed greater than 700,000 People.

Necessary vaccinations have change into an incendiary political situation in the USA, with many conservatives saying they quantity to authorities overreach. Proponents argue they’re essential in curbing the unfold of the extremely contagious virus.