Biden administration’s vaccine-or-test mandate goes into effect

Parts of the Biden administration’s vaccine-or-test mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees went into effect on Monday, amid a Supreme Court battle.

Starting on Monday, businesses with 100 or more employees were required to get their employees vaccinated and to wear a mask at work. Furthermore, companies will be subjected to creating a database of employee vaccination records following the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines.

Employees who are not yet vaccinated will have to choose between weekly COVID-19 testing or being on paid leave until they get the vaccine.

Beginning on February 9, companies that have not complied with the mandate will face penalties. Employers who do not comply with the mandate could be fined up to $14,000 per violation.

The constitutionality of the vaccine regulation is currently being debated at the Supreme Court. On Friday, the Supreme Court heard almost four hours of oral arguments about the validity of the mandate.

"Businesses have encouraged and incentivized their employees to get vaccines," attorney Scott Keller told the Supreme Court Friday. "But a single federal agency tasked with occupational standards cannot commandeer businesses economy-wide into becoming de facto public health agencies.”

Many believe there will be a split ruling on the issue, overturning the rule applying to private companies but upholding the mandate requiring health-care workers to get vaccinated.