Biden Mandate: Workers Employed at USVI Companies With Over 100 Employees Must Be Vaccinated By Jan. 4 or Test Weekly

Large employers by Virgin Islands standards such as Home Depot, Plaza Extra East, the Market St. Croix and St. Thomas will have to require that their employees are either vaccinated or must test on a weekly basis by January 4, a Biden administration mandate that the president says is aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19, even as the mandate has come under immense Republican criticism.

The new requirements, issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on Thursday, covers roughly 84 million workers across the U.S. and its territories. The mandate applies to employers with 100 or more employees. Companies subject to the requirements must ascertain that employees who are not vaccinated are tested weekly. Employers are not required to provide or pay for the tests, although there may be exceptions based on varying collective bargaining agreements.

Companies that do not adhere to the new policy could face penalties of up to $13,600 per violation. Typically, OSHA responds when it receives a complaint, but in regards to the new mandate, it will check for compliance through planned inspections, according to senior Biden administration officials speaking to the Wall Street Journal.

The mandate does not apply to employees who work exclusively outdoors, from home, or where other individuals are not present, the Biden administration said.

“While I would have much preferred that requirements not become necessary, too many people remain unvaccinated for us to get out of this pandemic for good,” Mr. Biden said Thursday. He added that vaccination mandates are "nothing new."

Late September, Governor Albert Bryan said he was prepared to enforce portions of Mr. Biden's mandate. During its weekly Covid-19 press briefing, the administration showed a slide presentation that read, "Governor Bryan is prepared to enforce the federal mandates passed down by President Biden as they apply here in the territory, and continue to urge Virgin Islanders to take advantage of the availability of vaccines."