Biden Administration Plans for Vaccine, Testing Mandate: As you may already know, late last week, the Biden Administration announced a new plan to confront the COVID-19 surge that’s being driven by the spread of the delta variant. The new plan mandates vaccines for federal workers and contractors and certain health care workers, requires employees at companies with 100 or more workers to be vaccinated or tested weekly, sets the groundwork for a booster shot campaign and recommends that large venues require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test.  Some of the plan’s requirements, such as healthcare worker vaccines, masks, and testing, may already be mandated at the state level. OSHA is expected to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to implement this requirement.   

The key parts of the plan include:

VACCINE MANDATES

• All federal workers and contractors must get vaccinated, with limited exceptions.
• Private employers with 100 or more workers will have to require them to be vaccinated or tested weekly. Employers must provide paid time off for vaccination.
• About 17 million health care workers in hospitals, clinics and other facilities that accept Medicare and Medicaid payments must get vaccinated.
• Some 300,000 employees of Head Start early childhood education and other federal education programs must get vaccinated.

SCHOOLS AND EVENTS

• Governors are urged to require vaccination for school district employees.
• The federal government will continue to follow through with money for widespread testing in schools.
• Stadiums, concert halls and other venues for large events are urged to require proof of vaccination or negative COVID test.

BOOSTERS

• Federal agencies will lay the groundwork for a smooth booster shot campaign, starting the week of Sep. 20 if the Food and Drug Administration authorizes or approves the boosters.

MASKS AND TESTING

• Mask requirements will continue for interstate travel and in federal buildings. The Transportation Security Administration will double fines on airline, train and other travelers who refuse to mask up.
• The number of pharmacies offering free testing will be expanded to 10,000.
• Retailers such as Walmart, Amazon and Kroger will offer at-home COVID tests at cost, about a 35% savings for consumers.

Update on Vaccinations: A total of 14,241,348 vaccines have been administered to Illinois residents. The average number of vaccines administered daily is 21,255.  According to the state’s vaccine administration data, 54.15% of the state’s overall population have been fully vaccinated with DuPage County still leading the state with almost 64% of its population fully vaccinated. Over 78% of residents who are 12 and up have received their first dose, with 61% being fully vaccinated.

Here’s how the rest of the state’s population by age groups ranks in terms of vaccinations:

12 years of age and older – 61% fully vaccinated; 78% one dose administered
18 years of age and older – 63% fully vaccinated; 80% one dose administered
65 years of age and older – 78% fully vaccinated; 94% one dose administered             

Additionally, the state has updated its COVID-19 website containing current locations and other pertinent information on one webpage.

Update on COVID-19 Cases: IDPH is reporting 1,582,392 positive tests of COVID-19 in Illinois, an average increase of 4,008 positive tests per day since last reported here 7 days ago on September 8.  In total, 30,193,211 tests have now been conducted in Illinois for the virus, an average increase of 91,912 per day since September 8. 

The state’s average positivity rate over all 11 regions is at 4.3% since September 8.  You can see where the various regions are at in terms of their positivity rates, hospitalizations, and other metrics at this link. 

Unfortunately, IDPH is reporting a total of 24,451 deaths, an average increase of 36 per day since September 8.

You can also check where these cases are occurring at the State of Illinois COVID-19 website which also contains more information on this outbreak.

Also, IDPH has a case breakdown of the number of positive cases in Chicago and each county relative to the number of fatalities.  The IDPH website also now includes a breakdown of the cases under each zip code in the state.

For information on other states and countries, John Hopkins University has developed this website that provides invaluable resources at a one-stop location detailing testing and tracing trends, timelines of COVID-19 policies, vaccinations, and interactive maps.

ACC Information on State COVID-19 Policy:

NORTHEAST

New York Halts Vaccination Mandate for Healthcare Workers
A US District Court Judge temporarily halted the state’s mandate for healthcare workers to be vaccinated by Sept. 27 after 17 healthcare workers from Western NY argued that their legal and constitutional rights were being violated. The injunction temporarily prevents DoH from rejecting employer-approved religious exemptions to the mandate.

MIDATLANTIC

D.C. Mayor Bowser Encourages Students to Get Vaccinated with “Take the Shot” Giveaway
Last Friday, Mayor Bowser encouraged  D.C. students and families with the “Take the Giveaway.” Starting this month, all vaccinated District youth ages 12-17 will be eligible to win a $25,000 college scholarship or an iPad with a pair of Beats headphones.

Delaware Governor Carney Formally Extends Public Health Emergency
Last week, Governor Carney formally extended the Public Health Emergency order another 30 days.

Delaware Announces New Online Portal that Aid Individuals with Lost Vaccination Cards
Last week, the Delaware Division of Health announced a portal where Delawareans can go online and print a copy of their vaccination record right from the portal.

Maryland Governor Hogan Announces Booster Shots for Seniors in Congregate Care Facilities
Last week, Governor Hogan announced that the State of Maryland is immediately authorizing COVID-19 booster shots for all Marylanders 65 and older who are living in congregate care settings.

Maryland Legislative Panel Votes to Require Masks in K-12
On Tuesday, a panel of Maryland lawmakers approved an emergency measure to require masks in K-12 schools to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The 10-7 vote by the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review puts the emergency regulation into effect for up to 180 days. The Maryland State Board of Education approved the regulation last month on an 11-1 vote. Only two of Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions, Carroll and Somerset counties, had not already required students to wear masks while attending school.

Ohio Governor DeWine and Children's Hospitals Make Plea for Masks in School
On Tuesday, Governor DeWine and Ohio's children's hospitals made a direct appeal to school superintendents, asking all schools in Ohio to require masks for staff and students.

Pennsylvania Governor Wolf Announces New Vaccine Clinics
Last Friday, Governor Wolf announced the Department of Health and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources are partnering to hold ​COVID-19 vaccine clinics at five state parks across the commonwealth to help expand access to the vaccine.

MID-WEST

Iowa Ban on Mask Mandates Put on Hold
A federal court on 9/13/21 issued a temporary restraining order that will allow Iowa school districts to mandate masks in classrooms.  Article Iowa Dispatch Article MSN

SOUTH

Kentucky Adjourns Covid-Related Special Session
The Kentucky Legislature adjourned on September 9^th after a short three day Special Session focusing on COVID-19. Below are a few of the key bills passed: 

• KY HJR 1 extends Kentucky’s State of Emergency through January 15, 2021. This Resolution also prevents the Governor from declaring a new emergency without approval of the General Assembly – Passed & Signed by Beshear
• KY SB 1 nullifies emergency regulations requiring masks in public schools and childcare facilities – Originally vetoed by Beshear, but General Assembly overrode. Bill is now in effect. 
• KY SB 2 bans statewide mask mandates until June 2022. Directs state to expand COVID-19 testing – Originally vetoed by Beshear, but General Assembly overrode. Bill is now in effect. 

Mississippi Governor Extends State of Emergency
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced that he will extend the state’s State of Emergency order for an additional 30 days. It applies to healthcare systems resources. The Order does not include any statewide mandates or lockdowns. Click here to view the Governor’s press release.

WEST

All Nevada counties now subject to indoor mask mandate
Nevada health officials announced that every county in the state will be subject to an indoor mask mandate by the week’s end. Governor Sisolak issued an emergency directive that requires counties to adopt mask requirements for indoor spaces and crowded outdoor spaces if they surpass thresholds for COVID-19 transmission. The final county in the state not subject to the mandate as of last week, Eureka County, is now experiencing numbers that warrant mask mandate policies. All 17 counties in the state are now under this mandate as of this week(Article).

New Mexico Extends Mask Mandate One Month
On Tuesday, the New Mexico Department of Health announced that the state’s indoor mask mandate will be extended for another month. The mandate was set to expire on today and has been in effect since August 20^th. The mandate requires all New Mexicans over the age of two to wear a mask when indoors, regardless of vaccination status (Article).

Utah Legislator Plans to Introduce Legislation Establishing Liability for Employers Who Implement Vaccine Mandates
Utah State Senator Kirk Cullimore announced his plan to introduce legislation that enables employers and customers to sue businesses that impose vaccine mandates on their employees. The proposal will make businesses requiring vaccinations liable if an employee or a customer suffers an adverse reaction after receiving this vaccine. The author has opened a bill file for this proposal ahead of the 2022 legislative session. Read the article here.

Washington State Updates Mask Mandate    
On Monday, Governor Jay Inslee amended the Washington Ready emergency order (Proclamation 20-25) to require facial coverings for large outdoor events with 500 or more individuals, regardless of vaccination status. The update was initially announced at a press conference last week, and is effective immediately. The Governor also updated the Secretary of Health Facial Coverings Order 20-03.5.  Read the full proclamation here. (Source)

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